Telecom infrastructure advocates urge Marcos to issue permanent guidelines

Stock photo of telecommunciations towers

MANILA, Philippines — A group of network advocates called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday to issue immediately an executive order setting permanent guidelines on establishing telecommunication towers and other digital infrastructure.

CitizenWatch Philippines lead convenor Orlando Oxales cited the “undisputable” results of two joint memorandum circulars (JMCs) that streamlined guidelines for issuing permits and clearances for the erection, construction, and installation of telecommunication and internet infrastructure.

Oxales said the JMCs, set to expire in July, “was able to significantly improve the processing time to secure permits: for telco towers from eight months to 16 days and for other internet infrastructure from 2.5 years to just 2.5 months.”

Throughout its deployment, 7,000 more telco towers were built, which Oxales said “substantially improved” telco coverage.

“We cannot afford to lose momentum in our pursuit of greater connectivity and digital transformation,” he said. “This shows we only needed to do things more efficiently in order to see a drastic improvement.”

As the deadline for the JMCs approaches, compliance “might stop and [be] reversed with more red tape,” thus Oxales has joined the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) in pushing for the conversion of these into a permanent exclusive policy.

“It is not difficult to imagine how much better we would have performed if all local government units and agencies concerned complied with the JMCs. Only an executive order will have the effect of a law which, in turn, will ensure sustained compliance and enforcement of the guidelines,” he said.

In light of the government’s bid to advance telecommunication and internet coverage in the country, Oxales pointed out that missing the chance to clamp down on red tape and other bureaucratic woes “would be a huge setback in our drive to become a competitive digital economy.”

Marcos had earlier underscored his administration’s goal of addressing slow internet connectivity and building up cybersecurity in the Philippines.

READ: At WEF, Marcos vows to address slow PH internet, boost cybersecurity 

According to him, the Philippines should aim to be on the same level of digitalization as its regional neighbors to be competitive.

With this in mind, Oxales said that “fast action on this executive order will be a strong message to all parties involved to further expedite the building of the country’s digital infrastructure.”

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