Smart Communications, Inc. is scaling up its mobile network infrastructure here to deliver faster, more reliable connectivity in a key commercial and agricultural center of the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The mobile provider has reached an agreement with the local government to build new infrastructure across strategic areas of the municipality. It has also deployed a portable mobile cellular site in the central business district to immediately increase network capacity and improve service quality.
“Additional sites will help improve our coverage in La Trinidad and provide residents with more reliable service,” said Debbie M. Hu, Smart first vice president for network build and implementation. “As our chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan says, we have to make sure that all Filipinos have access to fast and reliable connectivity.”
Better connectivity will support local businesses in adopting digital tools for payments, communications, marketing, and daily operations. It will also enable the municipal government to deliver faster and more efficient public services.
“These improvements will help our constituents stay better connected,” said La Trinidad mayor Roderick Awingan. “Our students can access information more easily, our business owners can transact more efficiently, and our people can stay connected and get the information they need.”
La Trinidad serves as a critical trading hub for the region’s agricultural sector. The Cordillera region supplies about 70 percent of the country’s temperate vegetables, with Benguet widely known as the nation’s “salad bowl” and a leading producer of highland crops such as cabbage and potatoes. Wholesale trading posts here draw growers from across the province and nearby areas, with produce reaching markets from Batanes in the north to Mindanao in the south.
The municipality is also home to the main campus of Benguet State University, a major regional higher education institution. Its Teacher Education program is a Commission on Higher Education Center of Excellence, while its Agriculture and Nutrition and Dietetics programs are recognized as Centers of Development.
