In the heart of Nueva Vizcaya, amidst its breathtaking mountains and fertile lands in the Philippines, a quiet revolution is taking root. It is a story not only of connectivity, but also of resilience, community empowerment and the remarkable women who are shaping a new future.
For years, internet access in these upland areas was a challenge – weak, intermittent, a barrier to growth. But through a community-centred connectivity initiative (CCCI), the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, in partnership with Vizcaya Fresh! Inc. and the Kayapa Organic Producers Association are bridging that gap. And at the forefront of this digital transformation are the women of the community.
Women’s hopes for scaling capacities for a more digital involvement
The term Kayapa women refers to the Indigenous women of Kayapa, a municipality in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines, known for its natural beauty and as centre for upland vegetable and fruit trees and cut-flower production. The women members of Kayapa Organic Producers’ Association (KOPA) have been leading and sharing responsibilities in vegetable and livestock production. They are certified producers of organically grown vegetables and livestock distributed not only in their town centres but also in the National Capital Region of Metro Manila.
Vizcaya Fresh! Inc. (VFI), a social enterprise operating in Nueva Vizcaya, has been an important partner of KOPA for a long time. It has consciously ensured gender diversity, employing an equal number of men and women in both management and staff positions. This commitment to gender equality empowers women throughout the entire organic agriculture value chain. The improved connectivity reduces travel time for VFI's operations officer, who previously had to commute for two hours to gather KOPA's production data. Happily, this now translates to increased savings and more efficient operations for both VFI and KOPA.
Women from Kayapa Organic Producers’ Association (KOPA) learnt to use a farm production and monitoring application.
In the past, trying to sell our vegetable produce meant buying mobile loads just to text customers. Facebook helps, but slow internet means delays and lost sales. It was frustrating. Now, with better connectivity, I'm able to share my products faster, connect with more buyers, and even explore new things like being a content creator for organic farming! – Lyka Kiray, a young farmer-entrepreneur in Kayapa.
Her story is not unique. Over half of KOPA's 80 members are women, ranging from their early 30s to 80s, all embracing this new era of digital farming. In our conversations with the women, they have expressed hopes that with connectivity established in two villages, they have more opportunity to sell their organic vegetables and fruits online. They can connect more to potential buyers of livestock they produce. Their young children will have access to educational materials needed for their schooling and they do not need to go home late due to research assignments. They have instant access to communication with their family members outside of their community. They are able to coordinate meetings within the KOPA members with the technology literally at their fingertips. Their dreams to be better connected to people inside and outside their community will soon be a reality.
Additionally, these women are learning to use FarmAccess, a farm production and monitoring application shared on a pilot basis with KOPA members to share real-time production data – from crop varieties to harvest dates and transportation needs. This collective intelligence helps optimise pricing, identify good buyers, and even prepare for weather disruptions. FarmAccess is developed by BlankOn Foundation in Indonesia.
Leading the digital revolution
The Kayapa women are not just users of the connectivity; they are active participants and managers of the community network. From managing the network operations Centre and Piso WiFi stations to assisting in technical assessments and capacity building, their leadership is invaluable.
At the forefront of digital transformation are the women of the community.
In our local services discussion, women voiced concerns about market access, weather disruptions, and even proposed ideas for local services such as early warning systems and farmers’ apps. These insights underline how digital skills connect directly to daily farming realities.
Their reflection and insights on the first deployment have been important inputs to the revival of connectivity in Kayapa when the team reviewed what happened and took stock.
Between 14 and 17 June 2026, six new connections were established in Kayapa with one Starlink set-up, connecting two villages. KOPA experimented with developing three modalities of connectivity:
- Direct to household, where a connection is installed in individual homes for a regular fee, much like a home internet subscription.
- Institutional partnership with Barangay Office, where the village government office hosts a connection point that serves both its public services and nearby residents.
- Community-based Piso WiFi and voucher system, shared hotspots where anyone can connect by paying a small fee, keeping access affordable while generating income to sustain the network. With these three modalities, it is hoped that KOPA’s meaningful connectivity initiatives will flourish and be sustainable engaging more community partners to be connected to the internet.
The members’ presence in technical discussions was notable from June of 2025 till date and their role in KOPA’s Ways and Means Committee, which handles the CCCI’s management in Kayapa, will be instrumental in ensuring the sustainability and scalability of this meaningful connectivity initiative.
To them, the CCCI is more than just internet access; it is about empowering women to lead, innovate and thrive. It is about strengthening communities, improving livelihoods and building a sustainable future, one connection at a time. The women of Nueva Vizcaya are proving that with access and opportunity, digital transformation truly is for everyone.
Catherine Tiongson is a supervising program and development cooperation specialist at the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), a member of APC Network. She is also concurrently ISEA’s Asia regional gender coordinator for the Local Networks (LocNet) initiative, a joint initiative of APC and Rhizomatica.
Akhmat Safrudin is ISEA’s Asia regional capacity-building coordinator for LocNet. He also works with Common Room, an Indonesian-based organisation and APC member.
Bernadette Patanag is a communication associate of the ISEA. She is currently supporting the regional and national communications requirements of the LocNet initiatives in Asia.