Quezon City — August 6, 2026 — CVISNET Foundation is among the highlight at the policy session, "Unlocking Connectivity: How Konektadong Pinoy Rewrites the Digital Future"

Hosted as a flagship event on Day 1 of the Asia Community-Centered Connectivity Bootcamp 2026, the session held at the Microtel UP Technohub highlighted how Republic Act 12234 (the Konektadong Pinoy Act) elevates community-owned networks from legal ambiguity into formally recognized drivers of the national digital economy.

Moderated by Winthrop Yu of Internet Society Philippines, the 90-minute discussion focused on shifting the national narrative from treating data transmission as an exclusive commercial privilege to establishing open access and digital connectivity as a basic right. Session Resource persons include: Jeffrey N. Llanto (Executive Director, CVISNET Foundation, Inc.); Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos (Lead Advocate, Better Internet PH); and Atty. Krystal Uy (Konektadong Pinoy Champion).

For years, last-mile providers like CVISNET—which builds and maintains grassroots connectivity in unserved areas such as Northern Cebu and Bohol—were forced to operate in a regulatory "gray market" due to outdated 1930s laws requiring a congressional franchise just to transmit data.

Under RA 12234, CVISNET and its served communities transition into legally protected Data Transmission Industry Participants (DTIPs). This shift eliminates years of bureaucratic hurdles, replacing them with a National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) "Green Lane" designed to offer micro and community-based providers expedited registration, reduced fees, and simplified requirements.

"Previously, we were operating in legal ambiguity," said Jeffrey Llanto, Executive Director of CVISNET. "The removal of the franchise requirement lowers our barriers to entry from years of political maneuvering to a streamlined administrative process. This means CVISNET can now focus its full resources where they belong: buying, building, and maintaining connectivity for our underserved neighbors."

Beyond removing legislative roadblocks, the new law grants CVISNET and other local community networks game-changing operational advantages: Direct Technology Access; Mandatory Infrastructure Sharing, and Fiscal Support.

The 5-day bootcamp (August 6–10, 2026) marks the first Community-Centered Connectivity (CCC) Bootcamp in the Asia-Pacific region. Co-organized by international and regional allies—including the Internet Society (ISOC), Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Rhizomatica, the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)—the event convenes 40 practitioners, social enterprises, and small operators, including 25 from the Philippines and 15 from across Asia.