As the e-learning trend overtakes the decade-old struggle for fast internet connection, Governor Arthur Yap on Thursday said Bohol province is now facing a challenge to make this school year’s opening as productive as possible.

Yap said he sought the assistance of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) so that state-run PTV 4 can give interested provinces like Bohol, an affiliate franchise.

The proposal was taken up during the virtual meeting via Zoom of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Yap said the province initiated the survey by the Department of Education to determine which areas are having weak signal.

The representative of the DICT at the online meeting considered this input from Bohol as a significant contribution in mapping areas that need their intervention.

Yap cited what Quirino Governor Dakila Cua who shared with him about the plan of the province to put up common towers for the telecommunication companies or telcos.

He said Bohol initially considered Cua’s idea but he wanted a model that will translate to revenues from rentals of the telcos’ use of the common towers.

As an alternative, Yap espoused another avenue to facilitate distance learning because in having the common towers, the people would still be spending for the “load”.

The governor suggested having an affiliate franchise of PTV 4 for radio and television to solve the issue on connectivity for the distance learning.

“At least, the people will get it free as they just have to turn their televisions or radio sets on. They need not buy load for their Wifi,” he said.

PTV is a government broadcast channel but it is only able to relay to six provinces outside Metro Manila. (PNA)