To: Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Regional and Division ICT Coordinators
Regional and Division Accountants
Heads, Public Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

1. The Department of Education (DepEd) has launched the DepEd Internet Connectivity Project (DICP) pursuant to DepEd Order No. 50, s. 2009 entitled, “Launching the DepEd Internet Connectivity Project and Directing All Public High Schools to Subscribe to Internet Connectivity Services.” This shall complement the deployment of ICT equipment to the secondary schools.
2. All 7,019 secondary schools, including annexes and extensions based on the Basic Education Information System (BEIS) data for School Year (SY) 2010-2011 as of March 31, 2010 are entitled to receive their funding under DICP.
3. High schools which are within the coverage of the Telecommunication Companies shall receive a maximum amount of not more than Forty-Eight Thousand Pesos (PhP48,000.00) per annum for payment of their internet service fees.
4. On the other hand, the secondary schools that can only be covered through Satellite Technology shall be provided with a maximum amount of Ninety Six Thousand Pesos (PhP96,000.00) for one (1) time payment for installation fee and internet service fee.
5. The following are the revised guidelines on the implementation of DICP:
   1. All Division Offices (DOs) through the Schools Division/City Superintendents shall ensure that all secondary schools within their jurisdiction or respective areas are connected to the internet.
   2. A team headed by the SDS and composed of the following: (1) the Division ICT Coordinator; (2) the Division Accountant; and (3) the Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) Supervisors; and other representatives needed by the team shall be tasked with the following:
      1. facilitate the process of internet connection of the schools;
      2. assist the schools in conducting canvasses/shopping whether implementing units or non-implementing units;
      3. facilitate the payment of the internet subscription of the non¬-implementing units and implementing units; and
      4. submit monthly or quarterly reports to the Central Office on the utilization of funds.
   3. The secondary schools with the official DepEd School ID based on the official list of the Central Office shall directly subscribe to their local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184.
   4. The following are the rules on ISPs lifted from the “Handbook on Philippine Government Procurement,” Fifth Edition 2009, pages 14 to 15.
      1. Internet Service Providers
         1. Existing ISPs. The ISPs provide the initial infrastructure requirements (e.g., cabling) necessary in the provision of internet access. Changing ISPs every year may therefore prove to be more costly to government as every new ISP would have to charge the procuring entity for this initial investment. Furthermore, changing ISPs entails interruption of internet access and, any public service is dependent on such access. Thus:
            i. Contractual agreements previously entered into with ISPs shall be respected.
            ii. At the end of each year, however, the procuring entity must assess the quality of service provided by the ISP. For instance, it must compare the cost charged by said ISP and the range of services it offers against other service providers in the area. It may also consider new technologies that may prove less costly or cost effective.
            In assessing the quality of service provided by the ISP, procuring entities are encouraged to consult the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), or Commission on Information Technology (CIT), or other relevant government agencies regarding any new policy or directive on the implementation or use of new technology.
            iii. If the results of said assessment or cost-benefit analysis continue to favor the existing ISP, then, the procuring entity may simply renew its services. If it does not, then the procuring entity should bid said services in accordance with the subsection 3.3.2 of these guidelines.
         2. New ISPs. If the procuring entity does not presently engage an ISP or, after the conduct of a cost-benefit analysis as required in the preceding subsection, is not satisfied with the performance of its existing ISP, the following procurement methods are prescribed:
            i. If there are more than one service contractors operating within the area, use the public bidding method.
            ii. If there is only one service contractor operating within the area, use the direct contracting.
   5. All high schools with computer laboratories connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) must comply with the following bandwidth requirements:
      1. Within the coverage of the Telecommunication Companies:
         For schools with at least ten (10) computers, the required download speed is up to 3.5 Mbps with 256 Kbps Committed Information Rate (CIR). The type of connection can be wired or fixed wireless.
      2. Within the coverage of Satellite Companies:
         For schools with at least ten (10) computers, they shall connect through satellite broadband internet service. The required Committed Information Rate (CIR) is 64 Kbps uplink and 256 Kbps (burst) downlink.
   6. Unenergized secondary schools and newly-created secondary schools, awaiting for their hardware and software deployment, shall receive their allotment once their equipment have been deployed to their respective schools.
   7. For new connections, the recipient schools shall submit their canvass forms and Service Agreements / Contracts for processing and approval of the team in-¬charge of the DICP.
   8. The schools with existing ISPs shall submit to the Division Office (DO) a letter signifying that the services rendered to them during the previous year has been satisfactory. This shall be the basis of the DO to process payment to their existing providers.
   9. For downloading of funds:
      1. The DepEd shall release the amount based on the released funds from its first year of implementation, together with the list of schools that have been provided with their allotments to the DOs.
      2. In cases where:
         (a) contracts have not been fulfilled in its initial year of implementation because of discontinuance of services from its ISP but have received allocation,
         (b) schools identified have not yet finished their existing contracts or
         (c) schools changing providers because of unacceptable services, the Division DICP Team shall use/reallocate the funds to connect the other schools. This is subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
      3. To request for additional funds to connect the other secondary schools within their areas, the DO shall forward a request to the Central Office (CO) together with the following documents:
         (a) Letter of Request for additional funds for internet connection addressed to the Office of the Director of the Technical Service;
         (b) List of Schools with their approved contract amounts, certified and processed by the Division; and
         (c) Liquidation Report of previously released funds.
      4. The DepEd Central Office shall only release the funds on a staggered (semestral) basis pending the submission of required documents. The schools which are implementing units must submit their liquidation reports to the DO so that they can submit a consolidated report of released DICP funds to the Central Office.
      5. Once the request for additional funds have been received, processed and approved, the Budget Division, FMS, Central Office shall immediately transfer the allotment received from the Department of Budget and Management-Central Office (DBM-CO) to the respective DOs based on the listing of recipient secondary schools, through the issuance of Sub-Allotment Release Orders (SUB-AROs).
      6. Upon receipt of the Sub-ARO, the Division Offices (DOs) shall record such receipt in the Registry of Allotments and Obligations for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (RAOMO) being maintained by the respective units.
      7. The cash allocation corresponding to the allotment transferred to the respective units will be issued by the concerned DBM-ROs, subject to the submission of requests for release of Notice of Cash Allocations (NCAs), supported by copies of Sub-AROs for reference.
      8. Funds which will expire but have an existing contract that will end the following year must comply in accordance to DepEd Order No. 115, s. 2010.
   10. Allotment under the DICP shall be used solely/exclusively for payment of internet connectivity services.
6. All DOs are directed to make sure that all secondary schools are connected to the internet before the opening of classes this June for SY 2011-2012.
7. All RDs through the Regional ICT Coordinators are directed to monitor/validate the compliance of their respective Divisions with this Order and submit the DICP Regional Compliance or Consolidated Report (format enclosed) to Director Mari Paul C. Soriano, Technical Service, DepEd Central Office via email address: dicp@deped.gov.ph.
8. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.

Encl.:
As stated References:
DepEd Order: (Nos. 115, s. 2010 and 50, s. 2009)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
FUNDS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
POLICY

DO_s2011_46