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A Wireless Panglao?
By Atty. Aleck Francis Lim
November 5, 2006 The Bohol Standard

Mauritius is a country 11 times the size of Washington D.C. and has a population as many as Bohol’s 1.2 million.

What is remarkable about this small republic is that it has transformed its entire 2,040 sq km island into a wireless zone in which all tourists can now be connected with the rest of the world while having an unforgettable vacation on this tropical paradise in Indian Ocean.

This breakthrough makes Mauritius as the first country in the world with complete wireless Internet coverage.

Today, being connected to the Internet while relaxing on the beach is far more important than having an airport, that is the fact of the matter.

The Internet has revolutionized how we live, how we travel and how we do business in a globalized era.

Bohol is not an island that is almost impossible to reach. There are many doors through which the province, let alone Panglao, can easily be accessed. That is self-explanatory. So why worry of an airport?

We should instead be concerned that Panglao is not yet connected with the rest of the world. Panglao remains a remote place, technologically speaking.

How many resorts there are fully covered with wireless Internet? How many spots in Panglao that are Wi-fi zones?

Let it be known here that tourists today don’t give a damn on an airport but they care so much on being able to connect with the rest of the world with convenience and with little money to spend on communication.

Panglao can duplicate the effort of the Republic of Mauritius. Why not? Panglao is just a small island compared to Mauritius.

The effect of Mauritius’s move is that international tourists can choose to say in this tropical island longer than the usual number of days, yet can still do business and complete their work back home or back at their respective offices.

If you are a no-nonsense businessman who relies on the power of information and technology, you wouldn’t consider going to places in which you cannot be as productive as you can be in an Internet-connected place.

Softwares have afforded us the means to access and transfer files in our computer located thousands of miles in another continent from wherever we are in the planet as long as we are connected with the Internet.

If Panglao has this advantage of being a wi-fi island, I am sure that it will lure tourists to come here and have a week-long and even month-long vacation with their laptops open and running.

Who wouldn’t want to work in a dazzling paradise as beautiful as Panglao rather than stay inside a four-walled office with all the interruptions available every now and then?

The world today has a complete different meaning of what an office is. It is no longer a brick and steel prison house for those who love the great outdoor and for those who want to explore their creativity.

Many businesses are operating at the click of a computer mouse right there inside their bedrooms and right there on the roads.

Panglao has the potential of doubling its current tourist arrivals if its leaders know the secrets and trends on travel, business, and lifestyle. It is imperative to make Panglao an irresistibly attractive option for travelers.

The island should invest in information and technology instead of wallowing in seemingly endless bickering that will only leave the general public a miserable loser.

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