Salceda says this new Marcos accomplishment is SONA-worthy
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda (left) and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook)
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda has hailed President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for what he described as a SONA-worthy accomplishment. Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, was referring to Marcos' issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 32, which expedites the permitting process for telecommunications tower infrastructure to those mandated by existing laws and regulations, and preventing the imposition of requirements such as a Sanggunian resolution. The order was signed on July 4, 2023, and made public the following day. “It’s an accomplishment he can certainly tout during the SONA (State of the Nation Address)," the veteran solon noted. The SONA is an annual speech of the President wherein he or she highlights accomplishments during the past year, and lays out plans for the future. It is traditionally delivered during a joint session at the House of Representatives. Marcos is set to deliver his second SONA on July 24. “The expedited tower permitting policy boosted internet speeds between 2020 and 2022 by 140 percent, 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,” Salceda said. The Palace directive also provides that applications of telecommunications service providers within the prescribed period shall be deemed automatically approved.