The government should institutionalize its streamlined procedures for obtaining permits, licenses and certifications for telecom infrastructure.
Specifically, the Anti-Red Tape Authority's (ARTA) Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC), which took effect at the height of the pandemic in 2020, should be institutionalized as an Executive Order, Ernest Cu, Globe Group President and CEO, stated Thursday, May 11.
"This is one of the critical steps towards serving the geographically isolated areas," he underscored. "Hopefully, we can fulfill the President's promise of making connectivity universal as a vital component to ensure that no citizen is left behind."
Globe had been advocating for the extension of the JMC which enabled the company to fast-track its infrastructure buildup amid increased demand, with close to 4,500 cell sites built from 2020 to 2022, twice as fast as network builds from 2017 to 2019 and more efficiently than in previous years.
However, the Globe President acknowledged that "the issue of permitting still arises occasionally despite the JMC".
“The permitting issue still comes up every now and then,” he acknowledged. “Sometimes areas are not isolated geographically, but they become isolated because of the local government unit itself that prevents telcos from going in.”
For this reason, he emphasized the urgency of the request to make the JMC an EO in a letter transmitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), the body convened by Malacañang to facilitate closer public-private sector collaboration.
The Globe President also highlighted the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors in bringing internet connectivity to all parts of the Philippines.
"I don't think the private sector should be solely responsible for bringing the internet to all parts of the country. After all, we do need to account for the business casing and economic visibility of such an endeavor," Cu pointed out.
Already, Globe closed 2022 with a ₱101.4 billion capital expenditure for its mobile and fixed network, 9 percent higher than 2021.