The country’s three largest telecom companies said a new mandate issued by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would further accelerate the deployment of telecom infrastructure in the country.
Globe Telecom Inc., PLDT Inc. and DITO Telecommunity Corp. lauded President Marcos for issuing Executive Order (EO) No. 32, which streamlines the process of obtaining government permits for the construction of telecommunications infrastructure.
The President’s order is seen paving the way for greater digital transformation in the country consistent with the government and private sector’s shared goal of bridging the digital divide by increasing access to digital resources, services and opportunities.
“We are grateful to President Marcos for issuing this EO, which will allow the telco industry and the adjunct TowerCo industry to further ramp up infrastructure builds that will provide life-enabling connectivity in an equitable way across the country,” Ernest Cu, president and chief executive of Globe said.
“This will help accelerate the country’s digital transformation and open doors for more opportunities to Filipinos in the areas of education, employment and innovation,” he added.
The EO, issued on 5 July, mandates streamlined guidelines in obtaining permits to build ICT infrastructure and eliminating redundant processes. By cutting through red tape, it fosters an environment conducive to rapid digital infrastructure development.
“We in DITO Telecommunity welcome the issuance of Executive Order No. 32 that allows the streamlining of the permitting process for telecommunications and internet infrastructure. We express our gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.,” lawyer Adel Tamano, chief administrative officer of DITO, said.
“The EO will most definitely benefit not only DITO in our efforts to hasten our infrastructure roll out but most importantly the Filipino people who are to enjoy sooner the fruits of faster, more affordable, and reliable services,” he added.
PLDT and Smart president and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio noted the importance of public sector partners in ensuring the fast rollout of PLDT and Smart’s fixed and wireless networks.
“Through collaborations such as this workshop, we hope to address the urgent need to operationalize policies to ultimately ensure the highest possible quality of service for all Filipinos, and consequently support the government’s digitalization efforts,” Panlilio said.
