MANILA, Philippines – Nakakuha ng papuri ang isang executive order na nagpapabilis sa pag-iisyu ng permit para sa telecommunications tower infrastructure at nag-aalis ng mga requirements tulad ng Sanggunian resolution.
Sa isang pahayag, pinasalamatan ni Rep. Joey Salceda (2nd District, Albay) si Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sa pagpapalabas ng Executive Order No. 32.
Itinutulak din ni Salceda, na chairman ng House Committee on Ways and Means, ang mga pagsususog sa Building Code upang ipag-utos ang paglalagay ng telecommunications facilities sa mga condominium at pangunahing commercial at government establishments.
“The expedited tower permitting policy boosted internet speeds between 2020 and 2022 by 140%, while reducing prices by as much as 41%. Rarely do we do something right by way of policy. And it’s an excellent move on the part of PBBM that he saw the wisdom in reviving it,” sabi ni Salceda.
Nakasaad din sa EO 32 na ang aplikasyon ng telecommunications service providers sa loob ng itinakdang panahon ay ipinalalagay na ‘automatically approved’.
Ang mga lungsod at bayan ay inaatasan ding maglagay ng one-stop shops para sa construction permits para sa telecommunications facilities. Ipatutupad din ang zero-backlog policy para sa aplikasyon sa government offices.
Ang kautusan ay nilagdaan noong July 4, at isinapubliko noong sumunod na araw.
“It’s an accomplishment he (Marcos) can certainly tout during the SONA,” ani Salceda.
Inihain din ni Salceda ang House Bill No. 8534, na naglalayong amyendahan ang Building Code upang atasan ang mga condominium na magreserba ng mga espasyo para sa telecommunications facilities.
Sa ilalim ng bill ni Salceda, “Buildings or structures and property developments shall be provided, as part of mandatory basic requirements, telecommunications / ICT infrastructure in accordance to the relevant technical specifications and requirements defined by the industry and/or latest Philippine electronics codes.”
“Telecom services are now as basic as plumbing. That was certainly the case with the pandemic. And that is now the case, with work-from-home arrangements.”
“In Metro Manila alone, there are at least 160,000 condominium units, housing close to 1 million people – mainly working-class families, students, or young professionals in greatest need of fast and reliable internet,” sabi pa ni kongresista.
“High concentrations of people within limited spaces can be taxing on telecommunications services, especially on bandwidth, unless adequate provision is given for telecommunications facilities. Without specific mandates to ensure digital connectivity in such complexes, the ability of internet service providers and other telecommunications service providers to deliver to their clients will be significantly hampered.
“The Building Code, enacted in 1977, could not have anticipated this digital future. But we are now living in that future. The laws should work for us, not constrain us to the limits of previous generations’ imagination,” dagdag pa niya.