U.S. provides P118-M grant to support 5G deployment in Ph

force is his greatest asset.

“At pagka tinanong sa akin kung bakit ganun ang pag-iisip ko, eh pinapaliwanag ko, madali lang naman sagutin ‘yan, sabi ko, mayroon akong workforce na ngayon ay 107 million na tayong mga Pilipino. ‘Yung 60 percent doon nagtatrabaho na at ang Pinoy ang pinakamagaling na trabahador sa buong mundo,” he added.

The number of OFWs in 2021 was estimated at 1.83 million as of December 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA said Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) or those with existing work contracts, comprised 96.4 percent or 1.76 million of the total OFWs during the same period. Other OFWs who worked abroad without working visas or work permits such as tourist, visitor, student, medical, and other types of nonimmigrant visas but were employed and working full time in other countries from April to September 2021 accounted for 3.6 percent share.

The top five destinations of OFWs were the following: Asia (78.3%), Europe (9.3 %), North and South America (8.9%), Australia (2.2%) and Africa (1.3 %). Of the total 1.83 million OFWs in 2021, about 24.4 percent worked in Saudi Arabia followed by the United Arab Emirates at 14.4 percent. Other countries in Asia with a large number of OFWs include: Hongkong (6.7%), Kuwait (5.9%), Singapore (5.8%), and Qatar (4.8%).

Many Filipinos prefer to work abroad because of the promise of high salaries and other fringe benefits compared to what local companies pay. (Mindanao Examiner)

THE U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is providing NOW Telecom Company, Inc. some P118 million ($2.15 million) grant to fund a feasibility study for the development of reliable and secure nationwide 5G mobile and broadband networks in the Philippines, according to the American Embassy.

It said NOW Telecom has selected New Jersey-based Bell Labs Consulting, part of Bell Labs, the research arm of Nokia, to conduct the study.

The grant agreement was signed by NOW Telecom Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mel Velasco Velarde and Nokia Bell Labs Managing Partner Stefan Wilhelm during the 10th U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue recently.

United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, and Philippines Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Undersecretary for Connectivity Angelo Nuestro witnessed the signing.

“This 5G grant demonstrates the U.S. commitment to developing quality digital infrastructure and increasing access to affordable connectivity in the Philippines,” Kritenbrink said.

Nuestro said the open innovation platform that this partnership seeks to give will enable the broader Philippine society to take a leap towards a connected future. “We welcome these opportunities that will improve the lives of Filipinos,” he said.

Under the USTDA grant, the feasibility study will provide NOW Telecom with the necessary analysis, designs, and plans for the phased implementation of the project. It will also include the establishment of a 5G pilot network at multiple sites in Met- ro Manila to validate network performance, test 5G use cases, and provide data to inform larger scale deployment.

This project aims to support the digital transformation of the Philippines by helping to meet the growing demand for high-bandwidth, reliable, and secure digital services from households and industry.

The feasibility study grant furthers U.S. digital policy in line with the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which aims to promote secure digital infrastructure in the region to bolster economic growth and facilitate open digital societies. (Mindanao Examiner)