From Colorum Latag to Legal Barangay ISP: The Northern Iloilo Guide to Going Legit Under Konektadong Pinoy
From Colorum Latag to Legal Barangay ISP: The Northern Iloilo Guide to Going Legit Under Konektadong Pinoy
For Estancia, Carles, Balasan, Batad, San Dionisio, Concepcion and Ajuy - where the internet comes from a neighbor with a ladder
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In northern Iloilo, everyone knows the setup. One PLDT or Converge line comes into a small store in Poblacion, then fiber is latag to 30 houses in the sitio, or a piso vendo machine glows near the barangay hall. You pay P700 a month or P5 per hour.
It works, but it is illegal. And now, for the first time, there is a legal way to keep it - and make it better.
Why northern Iloilo created this model
The backbone is here. PLDT has activated its fiber optic cable connecting Panay, Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol and other island provinces. Globe expanded Broadband Microshops across 11 provinces including Iloilo, Antique, and Aklan. Local formal players exist, like Panay Broadband, Panay Island's Most Reliable Broadband, and BIDA FIBER - Fibercore Solutions Panay Inc., an accredited partner of Converge in Iloilo.
But backbone is not last mile. In GIDA barangays in Carles and Concepcion, island sitios, and fishing communities in Estancia, the big players have no port. Limited internet access continues to hinder rural communities, widening the digital divide and restricting opportunities in education, employment, and digital services.
So locals filled it. That is why DICT said it is open to legalizing thousands of unregistered Piso-WiFi operators to expand affordable access in far-flung communities.
The problem is safety and quality. Valenzuela City had to order telcos and ISPs to put in order wires tangled in posts. Manila began cracking down on unregulated cabling, warning that two million kilos of unnecessary wires could cause poles to tumble, endangering pedestrians. In northern Iloilo, where amihan and bagyo hit hard, low-hanging fiber on ILECO poles is the same risk.
The new law fixes this.
What changed: Konektadong Pinoy Act
On August 24, 2025, Republic Act No. 12234, the Konektadong Pinoy Act, also known as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act, lapsed into law. It took effect on September 14, 2025. It removes barriers to competition and allows new data transmission players to operate without a legislative franchise or CPCN.
For you in Estancia, the most important part is the Green Lane. The law creates a Green Lane, a special and simplified track with lighter documentary requirements and lower fees for micro and community-based providers serving rural, unserved, and underserved areas.
Instead of the old expensive franchise, you will register as a DTIP - Data Transmission Industry Participant for last mile. The validity for last mile is up to five years. NTC and DICT must maintain a public registry of DTIPs showing where they operate. Once you are listed, LGU Estancia can give you a pole permit legally.
The old rule that still applies
RA 7925, the Public Telecommunications Policy Act, still says NTC has jurisdiction over all public telco and VAS offerings. A VAS provider need not secure a franchise provided it does not put up its own network.
That is why a small reseller does not need Congress, but still needs to register. No entity may offer VAS without a valid NTC-issued certificate of registration. A Piso-WiFi kiosk counts as a VAS provider that must ride on the facilities of a duly authorized carrier.
If you operate without it, penalty is P5k to P200k per device plus confiscation.
The Green Lane Checklist for a Northern Iloilo Micro ISP
This is for a 30 to 50 household network - typical for one sitio in Lumbia, Botongon, or Poblacion Zone 2.
Step 0: Decide who you are
Sole proprietor - DTI Business Name. Partnership / Corporation - SEC Registration. Proof of business registration is mandatory for NTC.
Step 1: Get local permits
Barangay Clearance
Mayor's Permit from LGU Estancia / Carles / Concepcion
BIR Certificate of Registration and official receipts
Consent from lot owner for your small hub
Step 2: Get a legit upstream
You cannot resell a residential Home Fibr line. Lease a BUSINESS line: PLDT Business Fiber, Globe Business, Converge via BIDA FIBER, or Panay Broadband. Ask for a lease agreement with PTE. Required documents include SEC or DTI registration, articles of incorporation, system configuration, service list, lease agreement with PTE.
Step 3: NTC Registration
File at NTC Region 6 in Iloilo City or CCAD in Quezon City. Submit duly accomplished application form for VAS / DTIP Registration, certified true copy of SEC/DTI, network diagram, list of radios/ONUs with NTC type acceptance, lease agreement with PTE. Processing is seven working days if complete.
Step 4: DICT Cybersecurity Compliance
Entities will still need to obtain proper permits, pass security reviews and comply with oversight from DICT and NTC. You must adopt best practices on cybersecurity upon registration. Within two years, every DTIP must obtain either a third-party cybersecurity certification or a compliance certificate from DICT Cybersecurity Bureau. You must also obtain a certificate of compliance from DICT to proceed and submit vulnerability assessment and incident reports for micro ISPs, DICT allows the cheaper compliance certificate.
Step 5: Operate like a real ISP
Label every vendo / NAP box: price per hour, privacy notice, NTC hotline
Do not resell DICT Free WiFi. DICT terms: For personal use only. No resale. Some vendors were caught setting up 50-100m from schools to sagap DICT Free WiFi then resell for P1-P5 per hour.
Get pole permit from ILECO II / MORE Power and LGU Engineering before hanging.
How much to go legit in Estancia?
Permits: P3k - P7k
Upstream business fiber 100-200 Mbps: P3,500 - P7,000 per month
NTC / DICT filing under Green Lane: P2k - P5k
Fiber per home: P1k - P1.5k
A sitio of 30 homes: P60k-P80k startup if you already have splicer and ladder. You can charge P700-P1,000 per month legally, with official receipt.
How to request DICT Free WiFi for Brgy. Tanza, Estancia
DICT Region 6 already activated 2,020 free WiFi sites across Western Visayas covering Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and Guimaras. Free WiFi can be found at state universities, public schools, government hospitals, health centers, public libraries, parks, and terminals. For 2026, DICT said barangay halls and health centers will get free wifi.
Free Wi-Fi for All is a flagship program under RA 10929 to bridge the digital divide. In remote areas where fiber is hard, DICT now uses Starlink.
To request for Tanza:
Brgy. Captain writes letter - must contain conditions barangay experiences and benefits.
Get endorsement from LGU Estancia - Mayor / MPDC / Municipal ICT Coordinator. Every LGU has an ICT site coordinator who oversees deployment.
Send to DICT Region 6 - Western Visayas, Zamora St., Iloilo City, 5000. Check existing sites at freepublicwifi.gov.ph.
Attach Barangay Resolution, photos of Brgy. Hall, GPS coordinates, proof of power and security.
What this means for the community
When you go legit: Students get stable internet, fisherfolk get reliable PAGASA updates, LGU gets tax and can plan pole cleaning instead of spaghetti wire cutting, and you become eligible for DICT GIDA projects and DepEd connectivity programs. Rural MSMEs are among the most affected by lack of digital infrastructure. Formalizing the barangay ISP is how that gap closes.
From colorum latag to Barangay Digital Coop - that is the path the law now allows for northern Iloilo.