At A Glance
- "This is not just about making it easier to build telco infrastructure. It is about creating an environment where communication knows no bounds and technological progress becomes an accessible reality for all," says ARTA Secretary Ernesto V. Perez.
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said it is launching next month the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on the streamlining of the permitting process for telecommunications and internet infrastructure projects to improve the country’s attractiveness to foreign investors.
This developed after the agency convened last Aug. 17 the Technical Working Group (TWG) with the public and private stakeholders to finalize IRR of Executive Order No. 32, or the Streamlining the Permitting Process for the Construction of Telecommunications and Internet Infrastructure, issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last July 4.
ARTA Secretary Ernesto V. Perez said there is no exact date yet on the IRR launch but said it will be within the month of September.
The IRR is crucial as it provides the specific procedures to be followed by all regulating government agencies and local government units and outlines the requirements that must be complied in applications for constructing, operating, repairing, and maintaining telco and internet infrastructures.
Once EO 32 and its IRR are in full effect, together with the government's other streamlining and digitalization initiatives, it is expected to further boost internet connectivity in the Philippines and in turn help attract local and foreign investors.
"This is not just about making it easier to build telco infrastructure. It is about creating an environment where communication knows no bounds and technological progress becomes an accessible reality for all," Perez said.
EO 32 seeks to hasten the implementation of telecommunication infrastructure projects to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
Perez has already presided a series of consultation meetings and workshops with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as the TWG Chair, and the stakeholders with the aim of launching the EO's IRR by September 2023.
The IRR of EO 32 is required to be formulated by the TWG within 60 working days upon the EO’s effectivity last July 5.
The TWG members tasked with finalizing the IRR include the National Telecommunications Commission, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government..