MANILA, Philippines--Reacting to suggestions from lawmakers to make mobile phone text messaging free, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has said that it will study reducing the access charges imposed on voice calls and text messages routed from one network to another, an official told INQUIRER.net.

The Department of the Transportation and Communications (DoTC) has instructed the NTC to adopt measures to "reduce communications cost," said NTC Deputy Commissioner Jorge Sarmiento.

"We're going to study it. Certainly we will reduce it," said Sarmiento.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said last week that the House of Representatives will review the franchises given to telecommunications companies to find out if they were allowed to charge subscribers for sending text messages.

Nograles, himself a habitual texter, said even the poorest Filipino household spends P25 to P60 daily to communicate wirelessly through text messages. That, he said, is roughly the cost of two kilograms of rice or 10 packs of instant noodles.

The House leader said projections that oil prices in the world market will increase even further will make life even more difficult, and "it is the obligation of the government to find every available option to help the public cope with the present economic situation."

Nograles made the remark after Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza suggested that telcos make the short message system of SMS free of charge.

Reached for comment, Smart Communications spokesperson Mon Isberto said the company was deferring comment "pending clarification of the government proposal."