Empowering Youth to Bridge the Digital Divide: unconnected.org at the 4th Philippine Youth Internet Governance Forum

unconnected.org served as a resource for the 4th Philippine Youth Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a local-led initiative highlighting pressing issues surrounding the Internet in the Philippines. 

Access and affordability are still high on the agenda, along with discussions on cybersecurity, data privacy and disinformation. With a relatively young population, the Philippine demographic of Internet users varies heavily, covering IT-BPM industry, virtual/remote jobs and online freelancing, among others.

Much is to be done however in the field of digital infrastructure, especially when it comes to Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA), where participation in the digital economy is hampered not only by financial exclusion but also by the ever-expanding digital divide. 

While digital literacy programs are conducted both by government and non-government organizations, the industry is still ramping up build of last-mile access infrastructure in rural and remote places. Thus, bridging this gap is a challenge that several youth-led projects are currently looking at. 

unconnected.org’s model of satellite internet as backhaul served as a practical example for establishing sustainable community networks, powering up schools with free Internet and enabling surrounding communities with affordable connectivity. 

The youth, for instance, are able to volunteer with organizations doing community-centered connectivity initiatives (CCCI) and to mobilize crowdfunding activities to democratize access to the Internet to the farthest of places. Raising awareness is one of the many facets of youth participation that can lead to better connectivity for those in need.