Senatorial candidate Herbert “Bistek” Bautista on Friday expressed belief that a reliable and faster internet connection in the country is possible especially if Filipino and foreign investors would merge resources to service communities who are out of reach of the top three telecommunication companies in the Philippines.

Bautista, who is seeking a Senate seat in the May 2022 elections, said while there are already three telco players in the country following the entry of Dito, millions of Filipinos still have no access to the Internet.

“Let’s let more players in at least in the island level—Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” Bautista said in a statement.

“We need to deregulate them further,” added Bautista, who promised to pursue internet reforms should he win in the Senate race.

According to the former Quezon City Mayor, investors can take advantage of amendments already made on the Public Service Act and the enactment of the Retail Trade Liberalization Act which already opened up the telecommunications industry to fully foreign-owned companies.

“For example, in Mindanao, Filipino businessmen can pool their resources to invest or partner with foreigners,” said Bautista, who is running under the UniTeam Alliance of former Senator Bongbong Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

“The same is true in the island of Luzon. Also in the island of Visayas,” he further said.

It would be a little difficult, though, to ensure better internet services in the entire Visayas as it would “be expensive to set up fiber optics there.”

“But in landlocked areas, like Mindanao and Luzon, it’s really doable,” he said.