The final 52 sites were activated on June 30, including 43 completed through an accelerated two-month deployment, joining 128 previously connected locations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, Globe said in a statement.
The DICT launched the Bayanihan SIM Project through the JuanSIM ng Bayan Program to expand digital connectivity to underserved communities, enabling greater access to education, government services, communication, and livelihood opportunities.
Overcoming barriers
Reaching many of the project sites required far more than conventional network deployment.
Globe teams transported internet equipment across rugged terrain, navigating long overland trips, boat rides, and hour-long hikes to remote schools while manually carrying utility poles and other construction materials from the nearest accessible roads.
Field crews also worked through unpredictable weather, intermittent power supply, limited transportation, and difficult site conditions. In some areas, installation continued even during power outages to meet project timelines.
"The Bayanihan SIM Project reflects the government's commitment to ensuring that every Filipino, regardless of location, has access to meaningful digital connectivity," Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda was quoted in the statement as saying.
"By bringing connectivity to geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities, we are enabling greater access to education, government services, livelihood opportunities, and other essential digital resources," the DICT chief added.
Globe president and chief executive officer Carl Cruz said completing all 180 assigned sites reinforces the company's commitment to expanding digital access.
"Our mission has always been to connect more Filipinos and make digital opportunities accessible to everyone," Cruz said.
Expanding access
The newly connected sites will support the distribution and use of Bayanihan SIM cards, which provide beneficiaries with 25 gigabytes of monthly mobile data to help students, teachers, and families access online learning resources, digital government services, communication platforms, and other essential online services.
From January to June 2026, Globe distributed more than 355,400 Bayanihan SIM cards and continues working toward its target of deploying more than 500,400 SIMs under the P1.5-billion program.
With connectivity now available across all Globe-assigned sites, more communities in geographically isolated areas are expected to gain access to reliable mobile services, supporting learning, public service delivery, and economic participation.
The milestone also reinforces the government's broader digital inclusion agenda by extending connectivity to communities that have long faced barriers because of geography, limited infrastructure, and inadequate telecommunications access. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
