MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to prioritize its Common Tower Program (CTP).
Marcos made the pronouncement as he noted that the program would further enhance the delivery of government services.
“Focus on the Common Tower [Program] because we will be serving more people through that,” the President said, as quoted by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in a statement, during a meeting with DICT Sec. Ivan Uy at Malacañan Palace.
The CTP—first launched in 2019—aims to enhance telecommunications infrastructure by promoting the construction of shared towers.
In his presentation during the meeting with the President, Uy bared that P1.5 billion could be allocated for new sites and other initiatives, including the CTP.
READ: Marcos to DICT: Boost internet connectivity in remote areas
Uy said the CTP is expected to serve at least 404,600 direct beneficiaries and an estimated 2,023,000 indirect beneficiaries
He also assured Marcos of uninterrupted and more efficient operations for renewing 15,715 Free Wi-Fi access point sites at P6 billion.