Cyber

The PHNET

The PhilNET or PHNET is the Philippines' gateway to the Internet. It was established through the initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) when it convened in July 1993 a technical committee to study the setting up of a national network with a link to the global Internet. Philnet initially operated on a limited E-mail facility. Using a dial-up facility via Australia's Victoria University of Technology it linked DOST, Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU), and the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. In March 29, 1994, the first Philippine link to Internet was established during the First International E-mail Conference held at the University of San Carlos, Cebu.

Currently, the PHNET consists of 10 access nodes: DOST, ADMU, DLSU, UP (Diliman), UP (Los Baños) University of Santo Tomas (UST), University of San Carlos (USC), Cebu; Xavier University (XU), Cagayan de Oro; and Saint Louis University (SLU), Baguio; and the Industrial Research Foundation (IRF). It now serves as the vehicle through which the library network of various engineering and science colleges and universities transmit their online public access catalog (OPAC) services.

Reprinted from: The Educators Diary 1997; Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. 927 Quezon Ave., 1104, Quezon City, Philippines