EO 32: Key to strong Internet connection

ThE United Nations’ objective for the Internet is to achieve universal connectivity by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, the UN is urging all members “to make the Internet widely available, accessible and affordable to all.”

In the Philippines, the lack of adequate infrastructure leaves the poorest communities behind, creating a digital divide that shows its discriminatory effects in rural areas that can’t use the power of the Internet to drive economic growth.

To accelerate the deployment of critical digital infrastructure nationwide, President Marcos last week issued Executive Order 32, which institutionalized a set of streamlined guidelines for the issuance of permits, licenses, and certificates for the construction of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure.

The President’s order will cover all national government agencies and instrumentalities, as well as local government units involved in the issuance of permits, licenses, clearances, certifications, and authorizations.

“No other national or local permit or clearance shall be required in the construction, installation, repair, operation, and maintenance of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure,” the EO said.

The President’s order also mandates all cities and municipalities to set up onestop shop for construction permits, which will provide frontline services to applicants securing building permits and other related certificates.

Leading integrated telco network PLDT Inc. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. hailed the issuance of EO 32 at the recent telco workshop led by the Anti-Red Tape Authority. As part of ARTA’s “Bayanihan” initiatives, the telco workshop series aims to further address the bottlenecks in the permitting, licensing, and authorizations involved in the construction of telecommunications towers in the country to improve connectivity in rural areas.

The workshop on Tuesday, hosted by PLDT and Smart, gathered other stakeholders from various government and non-government agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways, National Electrification Administration, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Philippines Association of Building Officials, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the National Telecommunications Commission.

PLDT and Smart President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio, expressing his support for the ARTA-led workshop, noted the importance of public sector partners in ensuring the fast rollout of PLDT and Smart’s fixed and wireless networks.

“Through collaborations such as this workshop, we hope to address the urgent need to operationalize policies to ultimately ensure the highest possible quality of service for all Filipinos, and consequently support the government’s digitalization efforts,” Panlilio said.

“PLDT and Smart’s support for these ARTA workshops is aligned with the focus areas of the government-mandated Private Sector Advisory Council’s Digital Infrastructure pillar, particularly on the acceleration of the rollout of telco towers and Internet infrastructure. We likewise support Go Digital Pilipinas, a PSACbacked movement wherein one of the goals is to create policies and programs that promote the development of infrastructure and services,” he added.

ARTA Director General Ernesto V. Perez cited the agency’s mandate under the Ease of Doing Business law—to promote streamlining and digitalization of all government processes and procedures through a whole-of-nation approach.

“The President has a bold and transformative vision for our nation: the digitalization of our economy. Recognizing the pivotal role of telecommunications in achieving this vision, he emphasized the need for comprehensive efforts to improve our Internet connections through strong telecom infrastructure,” he said.

“As ARTA continues to streamline regulations in the telco sector, we have witnessed significant achievements in making the industry more competitive, none of which would have been possible without a whole of nation approach between government and the private sector,” Perez said.

In line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, President Marcos has been pushing for universal connectivity in the country to ensure that no citizen is left behind. It would do well for the administration to prioritize Internet connection in rural areas that have been neglected by commercial Internet service providers. We cannot have a digitalized bureaucracy unless we cover the whole nation with strong Internet connection.