By: Ruffy Magbanua
Atty. Augusto Baculio, President and CEO of Orbits Satellite Corporation attending the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Manila.
CAGAYAN DE ORO, 26 August 2025 — Uptown, a bustling urban center in this emerging metropolis in Northern Mindanao will soon host the country’s first Artificial Intelligence learning center to be called Baculio AI Academy (BAIA).
Atty. Augusto Baculio, President and CEO of Orbits Satellite Corporation said the Baculio AI Academy features the country’s pioneering AI Courses, Robotics and 3D printing in partnership with Edumoca Learning Management System of Los Angeles, USA.
A Memorandum of Agreement between Edumoca of Los Angeles, USA signed by Mr. Vik Torpunuri and Orbits Satellite Corporation President Augusto Baculio has been forged last March 23, 2024 for the establishment of the Baculio AI Academy in the Philippines.
Atty. Augusto Baculio has chosen Uptown as the site of BAIA as a tribute to his late father Pedro Sa. Baculio, primemover of the cityhood of Cagayan de Misamis, later renamed as Cagayan de Oro.
Uptown was the refuge of Pedro Sa. Baculio during WWII as appointed Military Governor by Col. Wendell Fertig from 1942 to 1946.
Pedro Sa. Baculio was the only functionary as all civilian authorities were suspended during the Japanese occupation. This dark period of the country’s history served as one of his biggest legacy for the welfare of Cagay-anons and Misamisnons.
Orbits Satellite Corporation, the sole provider of satellite internet and broadcast in the country is poised to revolutionize internet connectivity in major airports and seaports, and online broadcast education in all grades from Aparri to Jolo.
Orbits is now on its final phase of installing terminal modems and router switches to network and internet service provider to orbit racks.
Agila 1, the official name of Orbits Satellite has reached last week to its orbital slot 22, 000 miles above the earth’s surface.
This will initially serve 10-20 digital terminals spread all over the country to be installed by Orbits Satellite Corporation.
Orbits had partnered with Astranis Space Technologies Corporation, a US-based space communications company focusing on providing satellite internet services via geostationary
communication satellites.
Baculio, a former lawmaker from Misamis Oriental and now a dedicated entrepreneur said the installation of internet satellite country-wide will provide reliable, affordable internet connectivity in remote and rural communities of the country.
Orbits which has already installed its high-tech satellite facility in Subic Freeport in Olongapo, Zambales will serve government agencies, ports, airports, police stations, and hospitals, Baculio said.
No less than President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr had acknowledged Astranis and Orbits for joining forces to bring internet connectivity to unserved and underserved areas in the country.
“This partnership will help bridge our digital divide and foster our digital transformation,” said Marcos during signing ceremony held in Malacanang late last year.
Astranis’ satellites use a geosynchronous orbit (GEO), which is about 22,000 miles away from Earth’s surface.
This allows the satellite to stay above a fixed location, matching the Earth’s rotation.
How the internet satellite works:
* A satellite in orbit around the Earth transmits internet signals
* A satellite dish on the ground receives the signals and communicates with the satellite
* A router, preferably Wi-Fi enabled, connects the dish to devices on the network
Benefits
* Satellite internet is available in remote areas where cables and cell towers are not present
* It’s the only internet service that can reach an entire nation
* It’s a good option for rural homes and businesses
Earlier, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the official name of the first satellite would be Agila, after the country’s national bird, the Philippine Eagle.
“The selection of the name Agila holds deep significance embodying the project’s unwavering commitment to connecting and empowering the Filipino nation through the expansion of access to the digital world,” Romualdez explained.
Orbits satellite program is projected to create direct and indirect jobs, accelerating economic growth and development in many of the smallest and most remote communities in the country, Baculio added.
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