Groups: Digitalization goals to stall sans Open Access in Internet law

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

WITH the Philippines “suffering” from a so-called broadband infrastructure gap, the President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will find it hard to achieve his digitalization goals, unless the government “immediately” enacts the proposed Open Access in Internet Services Bill.

T his was the consensus of 10 organizations that range from advocates and industry alliances to chambers of commerce. Among the signatories are representatives from the Better Internet Philippines, National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, Internet Society of the Philippines, Fintech Alliance, Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association, and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

T hey recently issued a joint statement urging the Philippine Senate to pass the Open Access in Internet Services Bill, which is described as a “curative law that will address the legal obstacles and binding constraints, which have long stifled the growth of the Philippines’ Internet industry.”

T he groups explained that there are major challenges in Internet access, quality, and affordability which are affecting the digitalization of the Philippines.

“ Moving forward, the digital divide threatens to undermine our economic growth, and must be addressed for the government’s push for e-governance to truly succeed,” the groups said.

T hey cited challenges with education, for instance, explaining that more than half of the public schools and 83 percent of their enrollees were unable to go online for distance learning at the height of the pandemic.

Despite some improvement over the past two years, the country continues to suffer from a broadband infrastructure gap, which is worse in the rural areas. Legal obstacles brought about by outdated laws restrict the building and operation of broadband networks. These obstacles are manifested in high barriers to entry and a costly and inefficient way of installing broadband infrastructure. As a result, poor and unreliable access and unaffordable Internet services persist,” the joint statement read.

A side from access, the quality of Internet connections also matter, the groups said. They cited an Ookla study published in March, saying that the Philippines’s mobile broadband was about 40-percent slower than the median speed of its Asean peers, although its fixed or wired broadband is doing slightly better.

“ Excluding Singapore, the Philippines has the second highest number of “mobile Internet poor” who find mobile data unaffordable and, inversely, the second lowest affordability score in Asean,” the groups said.

T he Open Access Bill, however, will lower barriers and cost to market entry of Internet network operators by simplifying the registration and qualification process for providers.

It will also make broadband network deployment faster and more efficient by promoting infrastructure sharing and streamlining the approval process for permits to install broadband infrastructure.

L ast year, the House of Representatives approved on third reading House Bill No. 6 or the Open Access in Data Transmission Act.

T he Senate Committee on Science and Technology has initiated public hearings on key digital connectivity and cybersecurity bills, including Open Access.

“An Open Access law is critical to supporting the Marcos administration’s goal of promoting universal, seamless, and secure connectivity for Filipinos. We call on the 19th Congress to approve Open Access to make the Philippines a truly digital nation,” the groups said.

O ther signatories include Democracy.PH, Foundation for Media Alternatives, Philippine Exporters Confederation, and Employers Confederation of the Philippines.

“

We, the undersigned organizations, express our full support for the immediate enactment of the proposed Open Access in Internet Services Act. Through this Joint Statement of Support, we are optimistic that the Senate will fasttrack the approval of this bill, and that the President will sign this landmark legislation into law,” the groups said.

Only 1% of Pinays are screened for cancer

SCREENING for breast and cervical cancer among Filipino women could be the lowest in the world, with just 1 percent of eligible women getting themselves screened, the first step to cancer prevention.

Valerie Gilbert Ulep, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said at a recent presentation of their study that “a big portion [of the] country’s cancer burden is preventable” if only more early screening can be conducted among women.

U lep said cancer patients in their most productive age of 40 to 69 years old account for most deaths, resulting in untold social and economic costs to the country. Data show that for breast cancer alone, 27,000 new cases are reported each year while 9,000 women die annually.

L ow screening has been traced to lack of funds provided by the government, especially for the poor. This results in very few government hospitals offering this screening service.

A lso, many fear finding out that one has cancer, and go for screening only when they are already suffering and it is too late.

We are diagnosing cancer patients at a very, very late stage,” he said, adding “it boils down to (conducting) comprehensive preventative and curative interventions for the population” to save those afflicted. The cancer screening rate in Malaysia and Thailand is 20 percent and “they are even worried that their rate is low,” Ulep said, adding that Cambodia and Myanmar have better numbers than the Philippines. The West has a 50-percent screening rate.