Kabankalan Community Antenna Television (KCAT), one of the first partners of unconnected.org in the Philippines has recently unveiled a computer laboratory at Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, Visayas, with connectivity enabled through low-earth orbit satellite technology, launched in partnership with the local government of Sipalay and DICT Negros Occidental.

The Sipalay Learning Hub is a multipurpose facility located at Brgy. Mambaroto, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental. Commonly accessed online content ranges from informational materials and educational supplements, as well as streaming channels for tutorials and similar coaching sites.

This also serves as a training venue to upskill residents of Sipalay for online jobs such as Medical Virtual Assistants, English as Second Language (ESL) tutoring and coding, and a venue for distance learning for students of the LGU’s partnership with Mapua Malayan Colleges.

These community initiatives are examples of how organizations can bridge the digital divide through collaboration in pursuit of meaningful connectivity for users. 

The model also allows for sustainability while maximizing the available bandwidth for use in education-focused applications, while at the same time, ensuring that KCAT is incentivized to onboard other sites. 

Experiencing the internet, at a time when being online especially for students is becoming increasingly a necessity, is truly a game-changer. In this arguably neglected side of the Philippines, KCAT, in celebration of safer internet day, has introduced meaningful connectivity to the people who need it most.