By HENRY EMPEÑO | June 29, 2026

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The dream to bridge the digital divide, establish inter-agency connectivity, and deliver faster public service is finally realized by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) after the launch here last week of the Government Network (GovNet) digital infrastructure.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said the network will connect 47 government agencies, public schools and hospitals located in Subic, as well nearby local government units.

The high-speed direct internet linkage was facilitated by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which is setting up similar infrastructures nationwide under the National Broadband Program.

Aliño welcomed the Subic GovNet initiative as a huge step toward modernization of government operations and making public services more accessible to residents and businesses here.

“GovNet is more than infrastructure; it is the backbone of a unified digital ecosystem for government,” Aliño remarked during the project launch at the Best Western Hotel here.

“It will connect 44 government agencie and ensure faster communication, better coordination, quicker document processing, and easier access to online services,” he added.

DICT Central Luzon Assistant Regional Director James Francis Villanueva noted that the GovNet setup is critically important for Subic, as it is recognized as a center trade, logistics, investment, tourism, and innovation.

“In today’s digital economy, roads, ports, and airports are no longer enough, (as) digital infrastructure has become just as important as physical infrastructure,” Villanueva noted.

“Through the GovNet, (DICT) is helping to ensure that Subic Bay remains globally competitive and fully prepared for the opportunities of the digital economy,” he added.

DICT’s GovNet project provides a high-speed fiber-optic internet with bandwidth capacities reaching up to 10 Gbps, which allows interconnection of isolated agency databases to improve inter-agency communication and ease government transactions.

The system replaces fragmented internet setups and eliminates the need for multiple, expensive individual ISP subscriptions by centralizing government network infrastructure.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Philippine government’s strategic blueprint to build a nationwide digital infrastructure, accelerating the deployment of fiber optic cables and wireless technologies to provide universal, fast, reliable, and affordable internet services.

Before Subic, the DICT has also installed GovNet to connect, among others, 102 government agencies and LGUs in the Cordillera Region, 70 government institutions in Iloilo City, and 122 government offices in Davao City and neighboring areas in Mindanao. ▲

PHOTO: SBMA Chairman Eduardo Jose L. Aliño switches on the GovNet digital infrastructure in Subic Freeport with National Broadband Program Project Manager Flor E. Esteban on June 24 at the Best Western Hotel Plus in Subic. (SBMA photo)