The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), has forged a strong partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to expand free internet access for in-school children of 4Ps households under the JuanSIM ng Bayan Program, also known as the Bayanihan SIM Project.

The JuanSIM ng Bayan Program aims to provide free and reliable internet connectivity to selected beneficiaries in underserved and unserved communities nationwide. This initiative is implemented through the procurement and distribution of SIM cards with subsidized monthly mobile data under the Free Public Internet Access Program, prioritizing public school learners and 4Ps households identified in close coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) and DSWD.

Under the partnership, each qualified beneficiary will receive a SIM card with a monthly allocation of 25 gigabytes (GB) of mobile data for twelve (12) months.

In Zamboanga Peninsula, including the province of Sulu, an estimated 26,150 in-school children from 4Ps households are expected to benefit from this initiative, significantly supporting their access to digital learning resources and online educational platforms.

“This will greatly help our poorest of the poor households under the 4Ps program especially in doing their research and other academic requirements,” Regional Program Coordinator of 4Ps in Region IX, Flordeliza A. Atuy, said.

During a coordination meeting held today, January 15, between DSWD personnel and DICT officials led by DICT Regional Director Cheryl C. Ortega, both agencies agreed on the need to match and validate databases with DepEd to ensure accurate identification of beneficiaries and avoid duplicity in the distribution of SIM cards.

Additionally, Regional Director Ortega also raised the possibility of providing training to graduated 4Ps beneficiaries on employability and other partnerships to support the development of 4Ps households.

Both DSWD and DICT emphasized the importance of sustained inter-agency coordination to ensure the smooth implementation of the project. All DSWD Field Offices are expected to have successfully distributed the SIM cards to identified 4Ps beneficiaries by the end of the month.

The partnership underscores the government’s commitment to digital inclusion and social protection, ensuring that children from low-income families are not left behind in an increasingly digital learning environment.