Array
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    [results] => Array
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            [0] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 100936
                    [Title] => Group bucks rural telephone program
                    [Summary] => 

The Telecommunications Operators of the Philippines (TOP) is opposed to any
revival of the government's P53-billion rural telephone program which the group
said could easily be undertaken by the private sector.

In a position paper, the TOP said there is no reason for the government,
through the now defunct Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO), to engage in
providing telecom services to the public.

MTPO ended its 10-year life term last Feb.
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-03-03 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [1] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 94596
                    [Title] => MTPO chief asks gov't to reconsider scrapping of phone lineproject
                    [Summary] => 

The government was urged yesterday to reconsider its decision to scrap the
P53-billion program to install telephone lines in the country's barangays.

Transportation and Communications Undersec-retary Willie Evangelista, head of
the Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) created to oversee implementation
of the program, said the decision to indefinitely put off the program came all
too suddenly.

Evangelista hinted that he was not even consulted by the Economic Coordinating
Council (ECC) which recommended the cancellation of the program to President
Estrada.

"We feel sa
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-30 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 
                    [AuthorName] => 
                    [SectionName] => Headlines
                    [SectionUrl] => headlines
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [2] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101482
                    [Title] => Scrapping of rural phone scheme catches officials by surprise
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) was caught by surprise by the
announcement of the Economic Coordinating Council (ECC) to shelve the
P53-billion "Telepono sa Barangay" (TSB) program which would have benefited
rural areas without basic telephone service.

"We didn't know anything about it. We were not informed," said Transportation
Undersecretary and MTPO project director Willie Evangelista yesterday.

Evangelista, however, said that the decision is not final until the President
himself gives the order. Mr.
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-29 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [3] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101425
                    [Title] => MTPO works to cut cost of rural phone program
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) expects to bring down the cost of
the "grossly overpriced" multi-billion "Telepono sa Barangay" (TSB) program by
as much as 75 percent once it completes renegotiations with foreign
suppliers.

This was pointed out over the weekend by Undersecretary for Transportation and
MTPO project director Willie Evangelista during the Telecommunications cluster
meeting.

Evangelista said that from the original contracts of about $20,000 - $30,000
per line, the current MTPO management is trying to reduce the amount to about
$4,500 per line incl
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-24 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [4] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101308
                    [Title] => Private telephone firms shy away from DOTC's `Telepono sa Barangay'program
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO), an agency attached to the
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), said yesterday that
none among the existing carriers is interested in taking over the government's
Telepono sa Barangay (TSB) program due to its unprofitability and huge capital
requirements.

As a result of MTPO is forced to push through with the multi-billion project if
only to provide the much-needed telephone facilities in more than 20,000
unserved barangays nationwide, MTPO project director and DOTC Undersecretary
Willie Evangelista said.

"I h
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-13 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [5] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101260
                    [Title] => DOTC arm fast-tracking P53-B `Telepono sa Barangay' program
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) is allegedly fast-tracking
negotiations for immediate implementation of the controversial P53-billion
"Telepono sa Barangay (TSB)" program despite merely a month left on its life
term.

A detailed "white paper" prepared by knowledgeable people from the Department
of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said that MTPO, one of its attached
agencies, is now entertaining telecom suppliers and signing contracts
reportedly upon the behest of certain foreign lending government institutions
which were left unidentified.

"The attempt 
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-09 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

        )

)

MUNICIPAL TELEPHONE PROJECT OFFICE

Array
(
    [results] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 100936
                    [Title] => Group bucks rural telephone program
                    [Summary] => 

The Telecommunications Operators of the Philippines (TOP) is opposed to any
revival of the government's P53-billion rural telephone program which the group
said could easily be undertaken by the private sector.

In a position paper, the TOP said there is no reason for the government,
through the now defunct Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO), to engage in
providing telecom services to the public.

MTPO ended its 10-year life term last Feb.
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-03-03 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [1] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 94596
                    [Title] => MTPO chief asks gov't to reconsider scrapping of phone lineproject
                    [Summary] => 

The government was urged yesterday to reconsider its decision to scrap the
P53-billion program to install telephone lines in the country's barangays.

Transportation and Communications Undersec-retary Willie Evangelista, head of
the Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) created to oversee implementation
of the program, said the decision to indefinitely put off the program came all
too suddenly.

Evangelista hinted that he was not even consulted by the Economic Coordinating
Council (ECC) which recommended the cancellation of the program to President
Estrada.

"We feel sa
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-30 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 
                    [AuthorName] => 
                    [SectionName] => Headlines
                    [SectionUrl] => headlines
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [2] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101482
                    [Title] => Scrapping of rural phone scheme catches officials by surprise
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) was caught by surprise by the
announcement of the Economic Coordinating Council (ECC) to shelve the
P53-billion "Telepono sa Barangay" (TSB) program which would have benefited
rural areas without basic telephone service.

"We didn't know anything about it. We were not informed," said Transportation
Undersecretary and MTPO project director Willie Evangelista yesterday.

Evangelista, however, said that the decision is not final until the President
himself gives the order. Mr.
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-29 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [3] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101425
                    [Title] => MTPO works to cut cost of rural phone program
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) expects to bring down the cost of
the "grossly overpriced" multi-billion "Telepono sa Barangay" (TSB) program by
as much as 75 percent once it completes renegotiations with foreign
suppliers.

This was pointed out over the weekend by Undersecretary for Transportation and
MTPO project director Willie Evangelista during the Telecommunications cluster
meeting.

Evangelista said that from the original contracts of about $20,000 - $30,000
per line, the current MTPO management is trying to reduce the amount to about
$4,500 per line incl
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-24 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [4] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101308
                    [Title] => Private telephone firms shy away from DOTC's `Telepono sa Barangay'program
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO), an agency attached to the
Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), said yesterday that
none among the existing carriers is interested in taking over the government's
Telepono sa Barangay (TSB) program due to its unprofitability and huge capital
requirements.

As a result of MTPO is forced to push through with the multi-billion project if
only to provide the much-needed telephone facilities in more than 20,000
unserved barangays nationwide, MTPO project director and DOTC Undersecretary
Willie Evangelista said.

"I h
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-13 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

            [5] => Array
                (
                    [ArticleID] => 101260
                    [Title] => DOTC arm fast-tracking P53-B `Telepono sa Barangay' program
                    [Summary] => 

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) is allegedly fast-tracking
negotiations for immediate implementation of the controversial P53-billion
"Telepono sa Barangay (TSB)" program despite merely a month left on its life
term.

A detailed "white paper" prepared by knowledgeable people from the Department
of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said that MTPO, one of its attached
agencies, is now entertaining telecom suppliers and signing contracts
reportedly upon the behest of certain foreign lending government institutions
which were left unidentified.

"The attempt 
                    [DatePublished] => 2000-01-09 00:00:00
                    [ColumnID] => 133272
                    [Focus] => 0
                    [AuthorID] => 1199471
                    [AuthorName] => by Marigold Yao-Endriga
                    [SectionName] => Business
                    [SectionUrl] => business
                    [URL] => 
                )

        )

)

abtest

Group bucks rural telephone program

By by Marigold Yao-Endriga | March 3, 2000 - 12:00am

The Telecommunications Operators of the Philippines (TOP) is opposed to any revival of the government's P53-billion rural telephone program which the group said could easily be undertaken by the private sector. In...

Business

MTPO chief asks gov't to reconsider scrapping of phone lineproject

January 30, 2000 - 12:00am

The government was urged yesterday to reconsider its decision to scrap the P53-billion program to install telephone lines in the country's barangays. Transportation and Communications Undersec-retary Willie Evangelista,...

Headlines

Scrapping of rural phone scheme catches officials by surprise

By by Marigold Yao-Endriga | January 29, 2000 - 12:00am

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) was caught by surprise by the announcement of the Economic Coordinating Council (ECC) to shelve the P53-billion "Telepono sa Barangay" (TSB) program which would have...

Business

MTPO works to cut cost of rural phone program

By by Marigold Yao-Endriga | January 24, 2000 - 12:00am

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) expects to bring down the cost of the "grossly overpriced" multi-billion "Telepono sa Barangay" (TSB) program by as much as 75 percent once it completes renegotiations...

Business

Private telephone firms shy away from DOTC's `Telepono sa Barangay'program

By by Marigold Yao-Endriga | January 13, 2000 - 12:00am

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO), an agency attached to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), said yesterday that none among the existing carriers is interested in taking over...

Business

DOTC arm fast-tracking P53-B `Telepono sa Barangay' program

By by Marigold Yao-Endriga | January 9, 2000 - 12:00am

The Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) is allegedly fast-tracking negotiations for immediate implementation of the controversial P53-billion "Telepono sa Barangay (TSB)" program despite merely a month...

Business