Monday, October 2, 2023

Spox. Roque: Telcos Can Talk To NTC

Spotlight

Medical Experts Recommend Strict Health Protocols For Public Transportation

Medical experts are calling for strict health protocols among commuters to be able to increase the public transport capacity which is currently operating on...

Commuters Call For Increase Of Seating Capacity On Public Utility Vehicles, Urges DOH To Release Data Breakdown To Stop Undue Worry

In cities with a limited number of public transport vehicles plying the road, the commuting sector is asking government to consider increasing jeepney’s seating...

Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. (CAPMI) Releases Statement On Social Distancing

The Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. (CAPMI) releases statement on social distancing on mass transport. According to CAPMI, in order to reduce physical distancing inside...

24K Jeepney, Tricycle, and UV Express Drivers Receive Food Packs From SM Foundation

Over 24,000 drivers were given relief goods from the SM Foundation.



Malacañang on Tuesday said executives of the country’s two major telecommunication companies can meet with the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) if they want to discuss in detail the plans to improve their services.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after President Rodrigo Duterte, in his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA), urged Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc., the wireless arm of PLDT Inc., to improve their services by December or risk expropriation.

“Nandiyan naman po ang NTC, ang regulatory body, para makausap nila (The NTC is there for them to talk to),” he said in a virtual Palace briefing.

Asked if Duterte was open to meeting with executives himself, he said telcos should provide better service to their customers regardless if a meeting is possible.

“I don’t think it is without prejudice to meeting with them kung gusto nila pero importante, meeting or no meeting pabutihin ang serbisyo (if they want but what’s important is, meeting or no meeting, they should improve their services),” he said.

According to Roque, the NTC will be in charge of declaring whether telco services have improved by December.

“Marami pong mga batayan iyan at alam po ng NTC iyan, mayroon po iyong mga dropped calls, mayroon po iyong mga—kung malinaw nga ba iyong mga tawag, mayroon po silang mga measurement para diyan (There are many bases to know that they have improved their services and the NTC knows them, there’s the issue on dropped calls, on whether people can clearly hear each other, they have a way of measuring it),” he said.

Roque lamented that besides Duterte, he too experienced issues with his mobile service.

“Yung naghahawak ng certificate of public convenience ay dapat magbigay ng convenience sa publiko at hindi dapat nagpapahirap (Those with certificate of public convenience should give convenience to the public and not difficulty),” he added.

Meanwhile, he denied that Duterte was prioritizing better mobile and internet services over the prevailing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Hindi lang po telcos ang sinabi niyang magiging prayoridad niya. Lahat po ng mga bagay-bagay na makakabuti sa taong-bayan ‘yun po yung sinabi niyang prayoridad. Isa lang po ang telcos (He didn’t say telcos will be his only priority. Everything that will benefit the people will be his priority. One of them is better telco service),” he said.

Amid the health crisis, he emphasized the importance of communication especially among patients and their loved ones.

In his fifth SONA, Duterte said he would take “drastic steps” against Globe and Smart if they do not improve their “less-than-ideal” services by yearend.

“Tell us now if you cannot really improve on it because I will work by December. I have two years. The next two years will be spent on improving the telecommunications of this country without you. I will find way. I will talk to Congress and find a way how to do it,” he said. (PNA)




[fbcomments width=”1000″]

Latest News

Medical Experts Recommend Strict Health Protocols For Public Transportation

Medical experts are calling for strict health protocols among commuters to be able to increase the public transport capacity which is currently operating on...

Commuters Call For Increase Of Seating Capacity On Public Utility Vehicles, Urges DOH To Release Data Breakdown To Stop Undue Worry

In cities with a limited number of public transport vehicles plying the road, the commuting sector is asking government to consider increasing jeepney’s seating...

Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. (CAPMI) Releases Statement On Social Distancing

The Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. (CAPMI) releases statement on social distancing on mass transport. According to CAPMI, in order to reduce physical distancing inside...

Gov’t Reminds Filipino Healthcare Workers Of Deployment Ban

The national government is reminding Filipino healthcare workers of a temporary deployment ban in the wake of the public health emergency caused by the...

Plans Need Harmonized Response Up To Local Level: Galvez

The second phase of the government's national action plan (NAP) against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic seeks to ensure smooth crisis response from the...

‘Strict’ Enforcement Of Localized Lockdowns In GCQ Zones Ordered

Despite the further relaxation of quarantine rules nationwide, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has ordered the “strict”...

No More Extension Of Moratorium For LSI, ROFs

The city government will no longer extend the requested moratorium on the arrival of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) coming...

24K Jeepney, Tricycle, and UV Express Drivers Receive Food Packs From SM Foundation

Over 24,000 drivers were given relief goods from the SM Foundation.

SM Foundation Allocates Ventilators To Hospitals With High COVID-19 Cases

SM Foundation donates 25 ICU-grade ventilators to hospitals with high COVID-19 cases across the country, as part of its continuing pandemic response.