MANILA – Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Aquilino Pimentel III sought the passage of a law that allows the entry of a third telecommunications player in the Philippines.
Gatchalian urged Congress to prioritize the passage of three bills on the matter.
President Rodrigo Duterte, in his third State of the Nation Address, called for the entry of a “reliable, inexpensive and secure” third player in the telecommunications industry.
Selecting the third player should be “inclusive so it will be opened to all interested private parties, both foreign and local,” Duterte said on Monday.
The enactment of the proposed “Lifetime Cellphone Number Act” and the “Open Access in Data Transmission Act,” and the amendments to the Public Service Act will help ensure that telecommunications services in the country get in line with the President’s vision, Gatchalian said.
There are about 73 million Filipino cellphone users today. They spend an average of 3.2 hours online every day using cellphones and 5.2 hours on other mobile devices and desktop computers, government data showed.
But despite widespread mobile use, the Philippines still lags behind its neighbors Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia in average Internet speed while its rates are among the highest in the region.
For his part, Pimentel asked the lead agencies to “take cue” from Duterte’s SONA and “fast-track” the selection process.
In June Pimentel criticized the delays in the entry of the third player, saying they are “sending a terrible signal to both the public and the business sector.”
The pace at which the agencies involved were proceeding with the drafting of the terms of reference would discourage business investment, he said.
“The President’s SONA message is a strong wake-up call. Or should the agencies just treat it like one of those dropped calls or lost text messages that telco consumers experience every day? Would the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the oversight committee say Message Not Sent Mr. President?” Pimentel asked.
“Telecommunications is just as potent an economic driver as physical infrastructure. It’s as important as sound economic policy,” he stressed. “The President knows this, that’s why he reiterated the need for a robust telecom industry, with emphasis on efficiency and low cost.”/PN
