Stronger enforcement of policies and closer collaboration among telecommunications sector stakeholders are keys to further strengthening the rollout of network infrastructure nationwide, Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Secretary Ernesto Perez said.
Perez, in a press release issued Thursday by telecommunications network PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), said the Philippines already has laws and policies that can protect and empower providers to deliver better service to Filipinos.
One of these is Executive Order (EO) 32, signed in 2023 to streamline the permitting process for telecommunications and internet infrastructure.
The said EO cited Sec. 15 of Republic Act 9485 or Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, which mandates ARTA and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) “to develop a fast and reliable interconnectivity infrastructure that will expedite the processing of licenses, clearances, permits, certification or authorizations.”
With the EO, among other policies in place, Perez said “what we need now is stronger enforcement and collaboration between government and the private sector.”
“We cannot afford to be left behind by our neighbors. The time to act, and the time to act fast, is now. While we in government are here to serve, we need our partners in the private sector to stand with us and take advantage of these reforms to accelerate progress for our people,” he told the more than 300 in-person and online participants of the dialogue spearheaded by PLDT and Smart Friday last week.
PLDT Chief Operating Officer and Head of Network Menardo Jimenez, during the same event, said “connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity.”
PNA PHOTO