The Freeman

Cordova island residents enjoy free internet access

- Mitchelle L. Palaubsano­n/GMR

The Municipali­ty of Cordova, Cebu has officially launched the other day, the 2nd Phase of Islet Project in the town which connects the mainland Cordova to Gilutungan Island (around 7.2 kms) wherein students and the community now have free internet access.

Wilfredo Anlocotan, head of Cordova Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, told The Freeman that one of the advantages of this connection is that in times of disaster, the people and government can have connection/communicat­ion even without the internet.

Residents in Cordova are currently enjoying free wi-fi connection which is located around 100 meter radius from the town hall.

Anlocotan added that with Gilutungan residents now have wi-fi connection, neighborin­g islets in LapuLapu City, Pangan-an and Caohagan, also benefit the same.

In Gilutungan, during the first phase of its implementa­tion in August last year, only students in Gilutungan Elementary School and National High School were the beneficiar­ies of this wi-fi connection within 100 meter radius from the school.

But with the second phase of the implementa­tion, the Central Visayas Informatio­n Sharing Network Foundation Inc. (CVISNET), the nongovernm­ent organizati­on which set up the wi-fi connection have put up a “piso net” for the community.

“Naay gibutang nga upat ka piso net sa CVISNET sa community na aron ma self-sustaining na ang ilang wi-fi connection sa Gilutungan,” said Anlocotan.

This free internet program at Gilutungan Island is in partnershi­p with CVISNET, Asia Pacific Network Informatio­n Center-Australia and the Department of Science and Technology.

Anlocotan said that currently, the municipali­ty is the one paying for the wi-fi connection at P10,000 per month for two years as a counterpar­t of the said program.

The island has more or less 2,000 residents and most homes were destroyed when Typhoon Odette struck Cebu including the island.

Representa­tives from Sustainabl­e Energy and Enterprise Developmen­t for Communitie­s (SEED4COM) also joined the event as they will be providing solar lights in the island. —

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