Community of youth volunteers for the Internet

unconnected.org, represented by its Technology Manager Jessieca Baris, joined Philippine Network Operators Group (PhNOG) as a returning committee member this year, with volunteering experience from a decade back.

PhNOG is an organization composed of Internet Service Providers (ISP), Content Delivery Networks (CDN), Internet Exchange Points (IXP) and Public Telecommunications Entities (PTE), run by volunteers, many of which are youth. 

unconnected.org volunteer John Gilbert Ora’a also sat as a member of the PhNOG Program Committee, delivering networking tutorials, peering workshops, as well as data center tours.

PhNOG conducted a series of technical community engagements among network operators, several of which are partners of unconnected.org; Country Manager Benjz Sevilla also presented updates on connecting last-mile schools in the Philippines, highlighting the opportunities for local players to achieve business interests while addressing digital equity, through community networks.

A follow-through roundtable on community-centered connectivity initiatives (CCCI) was also scheduled. 

The social mission of unconnected.org spans across hundreds of schools in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) in the Philippines. 

The collaboration between PhNOG and unconnected.org is one that is anchored on volunteerism and community engagement.

Key non-profit organizations and stakeholders present were the Internet Society (ISOC), the Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC), the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP), Better Internet PH, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the National Telecommunications Commission, among several others.