The country’s independent tower companies (TOWERCOs) commended the reappointment of Secretary Henry Aguda as head of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), citing his vision to bridge the country’s digital divide.

On Tuesday, June 17, Malacañang confirmed that Aguda was reappointed to his post as the DICT secretary.

The Commission on Appointments earlier bypassed his ad interim appointment due to lack of material time.

Aguda took the helm of the DICT in March following the resignation of Ivan John Uy.

Before his appointment, Aguda served as the lead of the Digital Infrastructure Sector of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), which acts as an advisory council to the president.

He also headed UnionDigital Bank, alongside other leadership roles in digital banking and enterprise technology.

The TOWERCO sector, which includes EdgePoint Infrastructure, EDOTCO Towers, Frontier Towers Associates Philippines, PhilTower MIDC, and Unity Digital Infrastructure, described Aguda’s reappointment as “timely and strategic.”

The group stated that the DICT chief will be a “catalyst” for deeper collaboration between government and private stakeholders to enhance the country’s digital infrastructure, further bridging connectivity gaps.

“Secretary Aguda brings more than experience; he brings a vision rooted in inclusion, innovation, and action,” said Kalvin Parpan, spokesperson for the TOWERCOs.

“We see in him the kind of leadership that doesn’t just build infrastructure but builds bridges for every Filipino to thrive in a digital economy,” he added.

The TOWERCOs expressed their commitment to fully cooperate with Aguda and the DICT in accelerating the country’s digital transformation.

The sector said this will not only cover the rollout of infrastructure, but also the formation of new policies and regulatory reform that will benefit urban centers and geographically isolated communities.

“We support a DICT leadership that embraces both innovation and integrity because digital inclusion is not just about coverage, it’s about confidence in the system,” said Parpan.

Over the past five years, TOWERCOs have built shared telecommunications towers with an investment value of over ₱200 billion and a projected boost of ₱30 billion over the next three years.

Through sale-and-leaseback agreements, mobile network operators (MNOs) will have a more cost-efficient and inclusive network expansion model that taps into previously unserved and underserved areas.

“These efforts directly support the government’s goal of universal access to affordable, high-quality connectivity,” Parpan said.