House passes bill giving students free WiFi, access to digital learning resources
The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking to give students in public and private higher education institutions free high-speed WiFi on campus, as well as free access to digital learning resources.
In a press release published Thursday, House Speaker Faustino "Bodjie" G. Dy III said the new bill seeks to bridge the gap in access to learning materials and reliable internet connectivity.
"Today, a student who cannot afford textbooks or reliable internet access is already starting at a disadvantage. Isipin natin ang isang estudyante na kailangang mamili kung bibili ng libro at magpapa-load para makapag-research, o gagamitin ang pera para sa pamasahe at pagkain," said Dy.
"Through this bill, our youth do not need to make this painful choice," he added.
House Bill No. 9532, or the proposed "Universal Access to Digital Academic Learning Resources Act", was passed unanimously on third and final reading on Wednesday.
Its proposal includes the establishment of a National Academic Content Repository under the Commission on Higher Education in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and higher education institutions.
The Repository will give students and faculty nationwide free online access to digital textbooks, lecture videos, syllabi, research papers, and other online educational resources in various disciplines.
To enable this access, the new measure also authorizes the provision of free high-speed WiFi across the campuses of public and private higher education institutions, with access given to enrolled students and faculty. Rural and under-resourced campuses will receive priority implementation.
According to Dy, the House "recognizes that access to education today also means access to technology," adding that students' academic performance cannot depend on their access to expensive textbooks and internet connectivity.
Along with free access to WiFi and online learning materials, the bill also proposes the creation of Filipino academic content. The measure seeks to provide grants for localized and open educational resources. It will also mandate CHED to coordinate with local and international publishers for affordable or open-access arrangements regarding these resources.
In addition, teachers who develop and share learning materials nationally will be recognized and incentivized.
"When a student in a rural campus can access the same quality academic materials available to a student in a major university, we begin to close the gap," Dy said. "When our teachers can create and share Filipino learning materials nationwide, we strengthen the entire higher education system."
Having been passed by the House, House Bill No. 9532 will be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence. If passed by the Senate, the bill will then be transmitted to the Office of the President, who will either sign the bill into law or veto it.
