MANILA, Philippines, August 30, 2012 – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with a leading telecoms provider to link up all its field offices nationwide.

The partnership with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) for a so-called Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) project will enable the DA to widely disseminate information to and from its 45 offices nationwide, including those in the country’s 16 regions.

“The DA’s MPLS project will provide the infrastructure for an information-driven agricultural modernization since policy directions and instructions on our development programs can now be quickly cascaded all the way down to the farthest regions through effective communication,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala.
Aside from the MPLS project, PLDT has also provided the DA with several communication solutions that include the ISDN for its internet connectivity and the load wallet for its mobile data system.

The MPLS project is being implemented by the DA through its Information Technology Center for Agriculture and Fisheries (ITCAF), which handles the agency’s electronic info administration and communication requirements.

“What this project actually shows is how important it is for the DA to get feedback from the farmers and determine the impact of our programs on the ground.  That is the ultimate reason why the DA has to invest in connectivity solutions of this nature,” Alcala explained.

On the other hand, the MPLS project demonstrates PLDT’s corporate thrust of providing reliable connectivity to the public.

“Our part in nation-building has always been a driving force in our efforts to continuously upgrade our formidable telecoms infrastructure,” said PLDT VP and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Jovy Hernandez. “An example of this is the constant enhancement of our Domestic Fiber Optic Network, which is already the largest backbone of its kind in the country.”

“These improvements ensure that we deliver world-class services and solutions to meet the ever-changing connectivity and communication needs of our customers.”