BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The government’s push to connect one of the Philippines’ most difficult regions has reached a major milestone: the Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DICT-CAR) says its Free Wi-Fi for All network has expanded to 1,444 internet protocol sites across all 75 municipalities and two cities in the Cordillera.
But behind that headline number is a bigger challenge.
Despite the growing number of public internet sites, only 607 of the region’s 1,178 barangays — or 51.53% — currently have local internet access, according to DICT-CAR figures presented during the Regional Development Council Sub-Committee on Communications meeting on August 14.
That means roughly 571 Cordillera barangays still lack the local connectivity counted by the agency, underscoring how difficult it remains to bring reliable internet beyond town centers and into remote mountain communities.
189 More Sites Targeted in 2026
DICT-CAR said it is targeting another 189 connectivity sites this year, including installations in schools and tourist destinations.
The expansion is particularly significant in the Cordillera, where mountainous terrain, scattered communities and geographically isolated areas make conventional fiber and tower construction considerably more difficult and expensive than in densely populated urban areas.
The agency is therefore using several technologies rather than relying entirely on traditional wired connections.
One of its key projects is the Cordillera Regional Wireless Network, which draws on 10 gigabits per second of data bandwidth from the National Broadband Program.
Nine backbone radio links have already been established in Benguet and Mountain Province. These links are beginning to feed internet access into so-called “last-mile” locations — the communities and institutions that are often the hardest and most expensive to connect.
Among recently connected locations are the Philippine Science High School-Cordillera Administrative Region Campus, municipal halls in Tuba and Mankayan, Benguet, and Bauko, Mountain Province, as well as the Tadian School of Arts and Trades.
Schools and government facilities in Kibungan and Mankayan have also been linked to the expanding network.
The Problem Is No Longer Just Internet Bandwidth
DICT-CAR Assistant Regional Director Allan Lao said the challenge is increasingly about physical infrastructure rather than the amount of internet capacity available.
The region needs more towers, poles and other strategic structures where networking equipment can be installed to carry the wireless network farther into communities.
That distinction matters.
Providing a high-capacity broadband backbone does not automatically mean every household or barangay can connect to it. The final stretch — often called the last mile — requires local towers, relay stations, equipment, power and suitable sites.
In mountain provinces, that final stretch can be the hardest part of the entire network.
Cordillera Has Made Major Gains — But the Digital Divide Has Not Disappeared
The latest expansion follows several years of rapidly increasing connectivity in the region.
In June 2026, the Philippine News Agency reported that DICT-CAR had 1,417 operational free Wi-Fi zones across 77 local government units, while 611 of the region’s 1,178 barangays had internet connectivity. Of those connected barangays, 284 were classified as geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
The same report placed Cordillera’s internet penetration rate at around 74%, while Baguio City had reached 100%.
The slight differences between those figures and DICT-CAR’s August numbers should be read carefully: counts of Wi-Fi sites, operational Wi-Fi zones and barangays with local internet access represent different measurements and can also change as sites are activated, renewed or classified.
The broader trend, however, is clear: connectivity infrastructure is expanding rapidly, but coverage at the barangay level still has considerable room to grow.
From 126 Sites to More Than 1,400
The pace of expansion becomes more striking when compared with earlier years.
In May 2022, DICT-CAR reported just 126 active Free Wi-Fi sites across the Cordillera.
By May 2024, the region had approximately 480 active satellite internet sites.
In early 2025, DICT was preparing to bring the Free Wi-Fi for All program to around 1,474 sites, while pursuing its longer-term target of reaching every Cordillera barangay.
That growth reflects a nationwide acceleration of the Free Public Internet Access Program.
According to the Philippine government’s 2026 President’s Report to the People, the country had activated 24,189 Free Wi-Fi access points as of May 2026, including 6,151 access points in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Those facilities had served approximately 9.8 million unique users, including 1.7 million users from the education sector.
Government Wants Tens of Thousands More Sites Nationwide
The Cordillera rollout is part of a significantly larger national connectivity campaign.
BusinessWorld reported in May that DICT intended to substantially expand free public internet access during 2026, with Secretary Henry Aguda saying government connectivity initiatives could add tens of thousands of access points when DICT and Department of Education deployments are counted together.
DICT’s broader objective is to eventually reach approximately 130,000 free public internet access points nationwide, according to the report.
The government’s 2026 spending program also provides substantial support for the effort. Budget documents set aside ₱5 billion from the Free Public Internet Access Fund for implementation of the program, including backbone, middle-mile and last-mile infrastructure, towers, data centers and related connectivity services.
Free SIM Cards Are Filling Some of the Gaps
DICT-CAR is simultaneously relying on mobile connectivity for people who cannot yet be reached by fixed public Wi-Fi infrastructure.
Under the Bayanihan SIM program, beneficiaries receive 25GB of mobile data every month for 12 months.
As of July 30, DICT-CAR said it had distributed 61,640 SIM cards out of a target of 66,720 beneficiaries, equivalent to a reported 92.38% accomplishment rate.
Beneficiaries include students, teaching and non-teaching personnel and members of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
Earlier in February, DICT-CAR had reported distributing 13,768 Bayanihan SIM cards and connecting 102 schools under the initiative, illustrating how quickly the rollout has accelerated during the year.
Why Cordillera Connectivity Matters Beyond Facebook and Streaming
Internet access in remote communities is increasingly less about convenience and more about access to essential services.
Students depend on connectivity for research and digital learning. Government offices increasingly process documents and applications online. Small businesses use electronic payments and online marketplaces. Tourism destinations rely on digital bookings and communications, while internet connectivity can also become critical during emergencies and disasters.
DICT-CAR already has 108 government agencies and institutions in Baguio City and Benguet operating under GovNet, according to its latest report.
The next challenge is ensuring the same digital opportunities reach communities far beyond Baguio and the region’s municipal centers.
Because while 1,444 connectivity sites may sound like the finish line, the more revealing number is 51.53%.
Until the remaining Cordillera barangays can reliably connect, the region’s digital transformation remains a project still being built — one mountain, relay tower and last-mile connection at a time.
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