Philippines, World Bank sign agreement for digital infrastructure 

The Philippine government and the World Bank have kick-started the implementation of a project loan aimed at putting in place a climate-resilient, inclusive as well as secure broadband connectivity in the country, according to a report by Manila Bulletin.

The World Bank said that on Dec. 12, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, on behalf of the Philippines, signed the loan agreement for the 268.22-million euro ($287.24-million) Digital Infrastructure Project last Dec. 11.

The World Bank document showed that for its International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) lending arm to developing country-clients, country director for the Philippines Zafer Mustafao%u011Flu already signed the same agreement as early as Oct. 26, during the same month when the Washington-based lender’s board approved the loan.

This euro-denominated loan will be repaid by the Philippine government from 2035 to 2053.

Back in October, the World Bank said this project will benefit over 20 million Filipinos who need better internet access.

According to loan documents, the project will have five successive parts.

The first part focuses on operationalizing the national fiber backbone network, which includes activities like purchasing equipment, building shelters, and leasing and activating submarine dark fiber cables.

This backbone network part also involves infrastructure investments at landing stations, setting up backhaul connections, and assessing the network design. Additionally, it aims to explore operational sustainability, implement capacity building and training, and strengthen the capabilities of the implementing agency —the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) — for network planning, partnership, and coordination.

The second part on the middle-mile network, meanwhile, involves installing underground fiber optic cable links to connect DICT equipment shelters to points of presence in select regions. This also includes linking municipal points of presence to the DICT’s through aerial fiber optic cable (FOC) or microwave links.

The third part involving the last-mile access network focuses on establishing connectivity to-and-from municipal points of presence in the Mindanao regions of Caraga and Davao Region. It also aims to link critical and high-demand sites through various connectivity technologies and develop incentive models to encourage private sector investment in last-mile connectivity to households.

The fourth part for network security is dedicated to enhancing security for government critical information infrastructures, including securing the national broadband network through measures like intrusion detection and prevention systems, firewalls, network segmentation, continuous monitoring, and virtual private network (VPN) connections. This likewise involves bolstering network and compute security with various tools and establishing a network of computer emergency response teams (CERTs) as well as security operations centers (SOCs), while aiming to facilitate a robust cybersecurity policy and legal framework, enhance skills, plus strengthening international cooperation.

As for the last part on project management support, it shall back-up managing project activities, including procurement, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, as well as environmental and social management. It involves establishing and operating the project implementation unit, providing technical assistance, and supporting citizen engagement activities, as well as includes quality assurance and the development of information systems for enhancing the DICT’s transparency and efficiency.