Smart to link barangays through text, Internet

All 42,000 barangays nationwide will soon be connected through a text and Internet network under the Barangay Connectivity Program of leading wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc., Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (LBP), and ONL Consultants Inc.

Under the program, Smart will provide each barangay with four Barangay SIM cards for the use of its chairman and kagawads.

The Barangay SIM cards will be loaded with a number of free text messages every month.

Smart will also provide the barangays with Internet access through Smart Bro, the company’s wireless broadband Internet service.

"With our partnership with Smart, our dream of connecting all barangays in the country will be realized. We look at this as a starting point of strengthening the country through the barangay system, thus opening up livelihood opportunities for the different communities," said LBP president James Marty Lim. 

"We are giving our full commitment to this project. This is our way of helping spur the development of the barangays. With the free text messages, faster communication will be facilitated among barangay captains and councilmen. With Internet access, a plethora of information will be a mouse click away in every barangay. Officials will be able to access websites on public service, education, among others," said Danilo Mojica, head of Smart’s Wireless Consumer Division. 

Perry Bayani, head of Smart’s Sales and Business Development Group, said the company recently created a wireless consumer solutions team that will come up with customized product solutions for the communities’ needs.

Mojica added that Smart will explore other projects with LBP such as remittance using Smart Padala and Smart Money, and the setting up of barangay calling centers.

"The basic infrastructure for every organization is communications. The Barangay Connectivity Program will play a major role in the coordination of various organizational activities of the LBP, community and livelihood projects, even in disaster response," said James Albert Bernas, head of Smart’s Wireless Consumers Solutions Department. 

As of end-September 2006, Smart had 22.9 million subscribers on its GSM network, of which 16.5 million were under the brands Smart Buddy, Smart Gold, Addict Mobile, Addict Mobile Prepaid, Smart Infinity, Smart Kid, Smart Kid Prepaid, and Smart ACeS.

Another 6.4 million subscribers are served through its subsidiary, Pilipino Telephone Corp., under the GSM brand Talk ‘N Text.

Smart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, the leading telecommunications carrier.