PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. are deepening their collaboration with the government to fast-track the country’s digital transformation and improve internet connectivity nationwide. The companies are focusing on expanding reliable internet access to underserved areas, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), through the government’s “BroadBand ng Masa” program.
Pamela B. Felizarta, vice president/department head for joint strategic operations and regulatory affairs at Smart, emphasized the role of streamlined regulations in advancing these goals. “With the streamlined rules in place, PLDT and Smart are reinforcing our support for the administration’s digitalization objectives, specifically by expanding internet access to GIDAs,” she said. The initiative aligns with Executive Order No. 32, issued last year by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which simplified the permitting process for building and maintaining telecommunications infrastructure.
ARTA (Anti-Red Tape Authority) Secretary Ernesto V. Perez praised the public-private partnerships driving these reforms, calling them crucial to eliminating bureaucratic hurdles. “Excessive bureaucracy has long hindered our potential. Now, time once lost to inefficiency can be reinvested in jobs, livelihoods, and progress,” Perez said, noting that EO 32 has significantly reduced delays in energizing telecom towers and boosted the approval rate of permits by local government units by 48 percent since May 2022.
Felizarta also highlighted the companies’ ongoing commitment to the ARTA-led Electronic Business One Stop Shop (E-Boss) program, which aims to streamline business processes nationwide. In a recent move, PLDT and Smart signed an agreement to support the initiative by providing computer units and training for local government units (LGUs).
This collaboration supports PLDT Group’s continued expansion of its fixed and wireless networks, enhancing its service offerings while contributing to the country’s digital economy. Since 2019, PLDT and Smart have worked closely with ARTA, government agencies, and industry stakeholders to simplify the permitting processes for telecommunications projects.
