INTRAMUROS, MANILA– Faithful subscribers and surfers in various schools of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) in the Visayas would finally access the CBCPWorld Internet.

This is because of the recent approval of Sr. Ma. Rafaela Singzon, RVM, regional superior, of the connection for all RVM schools to be apart of the church’s initiative to come into the Internet venture.

Because of the filtered pornography and the negligible expenditure of bandwidth, they decided to take the CBCPWorld Internet connection.  Although the schools are not well off, they managed to be IT compliant to at least hoist the academic standard of the school.

They assume that having an Internet connection as far as Jimalalud, Negros Oriental is concerned where one of their poor schools is located, can actually boost the student population in the next school year.  Other schools foresee this as an income-generating project.

Since the second semester has started, St. Mary’s College in Catbalogan was connected ahead of other schools last November 2003.  Along with it, the CBCPWorld also delivered and installed the satellite dishes in the area of Samar.  Other areas will be online this coming February 2004.

Although they are already online, schools will start paying on June 2004.  This is just for the student to have a feel of an Internet connection so that when the enrollment of the coming school year they will easily understand of the additional cost for Internet fee.

The CBCPWorld, which is optimistic in its expansion plan to cover all RVM institutions in Visayas, was already able to gathered 12 RVM schools. At least 5 schools in Cebu and 3 in Eastern Samar already have subscribed to CBCPWorld. Others subscribers came from Negros Oriental, Capiz, Leyte and Western Samar.

This Catholic Church’s new venture aims to enlist all catholic schools in the country and church parishioners in the crusade to counter the Internet pornography and other less holy pages.

In trying to muddle through with online pornography and cruel or violent games, the church has had to become decidedly realistic to meet its purpose.