Local telcos form new group

Top local telecommunication operators have bonded together to form a new and dynamic organization that would serve as the voice of the country’s private telecoms industry.

The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO) was formed by the carriers to establish a united front that has the vision of improving telecom services in the Philippines, PCTO chairman and president Epitacio Marquez said.

The 14 PCTO founding members are: Bayan Telecommunications, Inc. (Bayantel), Capitol Wireless, Inc. (Capwire), Digital Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. (Digitel), Eastern Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. (ETPI), Express Telecommunication Co., Inc. (Express Telecom), Globe Telecom, Inc., Isla Communications Co., Inc. (Islacom), Philippine Association of Private Telephone Companies (Paptelco), Philippine Global Communications, Inc. (Philcom), Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Co. (PT&T), Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel), Smart Communications Co., Inc. (Smart), and Telecommunications Technologies Philippines, Inc. (TTPI).

Most of the PCTO members pulled out of the Philippine Electronics and Telecommunications Federation (PETEF) after the latter allegedly failed to continue serving the needs of telecommunications companies. PLDT, which was not a member of PETEF, joined PCTO.

Together with the government, PCTO hopes that the requirements of a national information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure may be met successfully, he added.

According to Marquez, as the Philippines poises itself as a major player in the emerging field of ICT, it also comes face to face with the challenges of developing a national ICT infrastructure, harnessing the skills and talent of its people, and conditioning the Filipino people to adapt to the fast-paced world of a borderless economy.

PCTO, he said, is committed to work closely with the national government in the formulation, implementation, and updating of government policies, rules and regulations on telecommunications, as well as to establish and maintain vital linkages with foreign organizations, representing the global telecommunication industry.

"In all these, PCTO aims to lift the levels of telecommunication service standards, help the government in attaining universal access, and secure the nation’s place in the global market as well as ultimately help uplift the living conditions of the Filipino people," Marquez said.

On the other hand, lawyer Rodolfo A. Salalima, PCTO director and Globe senior vice president for corporate and regulatory Affairs, noted that PCTO is the answer to the basic telephone operators’ need for a focused organization.

While there are numerous industry groups existing at present, he said that what is needed is an organization that can and will effectively address the common interests of telecom operators and tackle the issues affecting the industry and PCTO fits the bill.

"With PCTO catering primarily to the needs and concerns of the telecom operators, it is our hope that PCTO will become a very proactive organization that would not only lift the levels of public service standards of its members but also help secure the nation’s rightful place in the global market," he said.