in poor areas of Manila have used the Internet to look for important information on their
rights (18%) or voice their opinions online (8%)
Affordability - In 2015, the Philippines committed resources to establish free nationwide
Wi-Fi in public places. A new national broadband plan is due to be adopted within the
next year. However, the Philippines has the second lowest Internet speed in the region
at 3.2 Mb per second.
Digital Skills & Education - The Department of Science and Technology provides digital
skills and education training at its Technology for Education Centers. However, 79%
of the country’s public primary and secondary schools lack Internet connectivity.
Relevant Contents & Services - The government makes some information about
reproductive and sexual health rights and services available online, but it is often not
easy to locate. Additionally, just 5% of women have access to mobile financial services
Online Safety - Specific laws are in place for victims of online violence to seek
recourse. Law enforcement officers have undergone training on investigating
cyberviolence against women, and a few cases have resulted in arrests. A robust data
privacy law was enacted in 2012.vii
7. Women living in rural areas spoke of challenges standing in the way of increased ICT accessibility,
including:
a. The lack of power in many villages which compels women to walk for hours to the nearest
town to charge their mobile phones; and
b. The periodic evacuations due to ongoing clashes which has created communities that are
always on the move, settling in makeshift structures, thus making it difficult to equip
schools, for instance, with computers and internet connectivity
c. General discomfort with unfamiliar technology, especially among rural residents.
d. Hesitation to try a peculiar-looking device, even if it is meant for public use, without
someone first teaching them how it works.viii
8. In low-income areas where women are more prone to sexual exploitation and trafficking, rights
groups worry that women may be learning to use the Internet for purposes that make them more
vulnerable to online and offline abuse. Digital skills training must thus not only be about how one
can connect to the Internet, but also include ways by which women can use it productively for selfdevelopment.ix
9. In a study conducted by Google, women in the Philippines cited lack of time, skills and income as
the biggest obstacles to Internet use.x
Online violence, cyberbullying
10. In a statement regarding human rights violations online, Micheline Rama of DAKILA – Philippine
Collective for Modern Heroismxi reiterated their stand that human rights online are the same as
human rights offline, thus abuses occurring online should also have the same repercussions as
those happening offline.xii The internet can also be a place to gather information, participate in