MONKAYO, Davao de Oro(January 21) — Students and teachers in remote public schools in Davao de Oro are getting a digital boost after the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) distributed free SIM cards with subsidized mobile data to help improve access to online learning.
The initiative, led by DICT Region 11, launched the JuanSIM ng Bayan Program–Bayanihan SIM Project on Tuesday in Barangay Awao, targeting learners and educators in underserved communities with limited internet connectivity.
Bringing internet access closer to classrooms
DICT-11 Director Evamay Dela Rosa said the program aims to reach 21 underserved and unserved areas across Davao Region that are already within mobile network coverage. Distribution of SIM cards is set to continue until next month.
“The validity of the load lasts for the whole year, during which they get 25GB every month. Their only requirement is the cellphone,” Dela Rosa said in an interview after the launch.
A total of 1,048 beneficiaries—students and teachers from Awao Elementary School and Awao National High School—received SIM cards loaded with 25GB of data per month, valid for one year.
Part of a bigger digital push
The project falls under DICT’s Free Public Internet Access Program and carries the Bayanihan SIM Project branding, aligned with the agency’s Digital Bayanihan advocacy, inclusivity goals, and Gender and Development (GAD) principles.
According to DICT, the initiative is meant to complement ongoing efforts to improve digital infrastructure in rural areas, including the construction and upgrading of cell towers to strengthen signal coverage.
“The project seeks to bridge the digital divide by linking remote communities to the global network,” Dela Rosa said.
DepEd first, 4Ps next
The Department of Education (DepEd) identified the schools and distribution sites, while DICT handled the SIM cards and data provisioning.
Learners who do not have mobile phones will not lose out entirely. Dela Rosa said SIM cards assigned to them will be reallocated to selected 4Ps beneficiaries, with priority still given to DepEd-related households.
“Our first priority is the DepEd, and 4Ps are secondary,” she said.
Safe and focused use
The free data allows students and teachers to access and download learning materials from approved educational websites. Some sites remain blocked to ensure safe, appropriate, and education-focused usage.
DICT also reminded recipients to register their SIM cards, in compliance with existing regulations.
Small SIM, big impact
For students in far-flung barangays where internet access often means traveling long distances or spending scarce household income, the free SIM cards offer more than just connectivity—they provide a chance to keep up with lessons, submit requirements on time, and explore digital learning tools.
As the program expands to other parts of Davao Region, DICT said it hopes initiatives like JuanSIM ng Bayan will help ensure that geography no longer determines who gets access to digital education.
