The Apo Elementary School in Dauin, and the Arts and Design Collective Dumaguete (ADCD) have benefited from the Starlink-powered high-speed internet, following donations from cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company Bitget.
“Bitget is deepening its commitment to digital inclusion in the Philippines by expanding its PayFi Islands initiative to Negros Oriental…tackling long-standing connectivity challenges in education and the creative sector,” the company said in a press release July 29.
In many parts of Negros Oriental, including remote islands like Apo, and urban centers, such as Dumaguete, reliable internet access remains elusive. Outdated infrastructure, like microwave radio links, continues to limit bandwidth and reliability, cutting communities off from modern tools and opportunities.
This digital divide has sent a ripple effect through key sectors, such as education and creative industries, hindering access to information, digital tools, and, in turn, economic opportunities, it added.
After years of limited resources and unreliable internet, Apo Elementary School, the only public school on Apo Island, will finally be connected through Starlink. “This new access will unlock digital learning tools, teacher development programs, and broader educational networks, creating new opportunities for academic growth and long-term empowerment in a community that has long relied on fishing.”
In Dumaguete, Bitget partnered with ADCD, a vibrant creative hub preparing to launch a maker’s space for local artists and entrepreneurs. Previously held back by poor internet access, this space will now offer digital tools, fabrication technologies, and pathways to global collaboration, enabling the city’s creative sector to thrive in the digital economy.
“Access to the internet is access to opportunities,” Bitget COO Vugar Usi Zade said in the press release. “With PayFi Islands, we’re connecting people to education, to the digital economy, to more opportunities. These communities deserve to be part of the future, and we’re here to help make that happen.”
The project includes hardware installation, subscription support, and community training. The expansion in Negros Oriental is part of Bitget’s second phase in bridging the digital divide in the country’s island communities.
In May 2025, its Starlink Program first introduced reliable connectivity to Siargao’s Espoir School of Life and Barangay Pitogo. “As Bitget continues its rollout, these initiatives lay the foundation for Bitget’s broader educational and empowerment programs – Blockchain4Youth and Blockchain4Her – which will introduce blockchain literacy, financial education, and decentralized technology training to students and women-led cooperatives in the region, ensuring that the new digital infrastructure becomes a platform for sustainable development.” ||
