With the aim of bridging the digital divide in Philippines’ island communities.
Leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company Bitget has launched its Starlink Program in Siargao island in the southeastern part of the Philippines.
The initiative, which brings high-speed satellite internet, is considered a bold move in tackling digital inequality in far-flung areas.
Bitget’s program kicked off in at the Espoir School of Life and Barangay Pitogo in the island with the primary goal of addressing chronic connectivity gaps that have long hindered education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
For years, Siargao’s residents have relied on fragile microwave radio connections, leaving them vulnerable to frequent outages, slow speeds, and exclusion from the digital economy.
Schools like Espoir, which serves underprivileged children, struggle with offline-only learning, while villages like Barangay Pitogo face isolation due to unreliable communication networks.
Both locations are part of the first phase of the project, with hardware installations that will provide six months of high-speed satellite internet, enabling access to online curricula, teacher training, and e-governance tools.
“Without stable internet, entire communities are locked out of modern education, remote work, and even basic services like telemedicine. This isn’t just about connectivity, it’s about equity,” said Vugar Usi Zade, COO at Bitget.
He continued, “Internet access shouldn’t be a privilege, it’s the foundation for everything from education to decentralized finance. We’re building doors to the digital world one island at a time.”
By deploying Starlink’s cutting-edge technology, the company aims to empower these communities with reliable internet access, laying the groundwork for future blockchain education and financial inclusion.
Additionally, the Starlink kits will go live in May, with Bitget documenting the rollout through impact reports and community stories.
For Espoir’s students, the change will be immediate: interactive lessons, global collaborations, and soon blockchain workshops. For Barangay Pitogo, it will be aimed at making the better connectivity a leap toward resilient communication during typhoon seasons.
Bitget plans to provide long-term support through $10-M Blockchain 4 Youth and $10-M Blockchain 4 Her initiatives, which will introduce blockchain literacy and digital finance skills to students and women-led cooperatives.
The total investment of Php 155,400 covering hardware, subscriptions, and logistics is touted by the company as a “modest cost for transformative impact.“
Future phases of the project could see it expand to neighboring islands, leveraging partnerships with local NGOs and government units.
As Bitget scales this program, it promises to make crypto’s future not just about markets, but also about people, it told.
Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company with over 100 million users in over 150 countries and regions.
Its Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to cryptocurrency prices.
Meanwhile, its Bitget Wallet is a multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features.