PLDT Group asked government agencies and local government units to intensify cooperation to address challenges that persist despite the issuance last year of Executive Order No. 32 to streamline permitting processes and fast-track telecom infrastructure deployment.
Pamela Felizarta, head of joint strategic operations at Smart, highlighted the persistent challenges faced by telecom companies (telcos), including securing mayor’s and business permits, excessive fees and difficulties in obtaining homeowners’ association approvals.
“ARTA [Anti-Red Tape Authority], together with other national government agencies and the private sector have been working tirelessly to streamline the process of securing permits for the construction and installation of telco infrastructure. Our efforts have not gone to waste because these have led to the issuance of important circulars, guidelines, rules and regulations, and an executive issuance, which have paved the way for faster rollout of telco infrastructure across the nation,” Felizarta said.
“We continue to collaborate with local government units toward a full appreciation of EO 32, and we look forward to the enactment of local ordinances that adopt in full the IRR’s provisions,” she said.
EO 32, issued last year by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., streamlined the permitting process for the construction, installation, repair, operation and maintenance of telecommunications and internet infrastructure in the country
“EO 32 and its IRR and [implementing rules and regulations] signal a pivotal achievement, further boosting our efforts toward a more efficient, transparent and business-friendly environment,” said ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez.
ARTA noted a 48-percent increase in approved telco-related permits between May 2022 and May 2024, underscoring the positive impact of EO 32 and its IRR.
“ARTA in collaboration with the Department of Interior and Local Government [DILG] will draft a template ordinance for LGUs to adopt in order to expedite the approval process,” Perez said.
The collaboration supports the PLDT Group’s thrust to continuously expand and enhance its integrated fixed and wireless networks nationwide, in order to deliver leveled-up customer experience and power the country’s digital economy.
The PLDT Group’s fiber footprint is the most extensive in the Philippines, passing 18.13 million homes in 71 percent of the country’s towns and 91 percent of total provinces, while Smart’s combined 5G/4G network covers around 97 percent of the material population.
Since 2019, PLDT and Smart have been working closely with ARTA, government agencies such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Telecommunications Commission, DILG, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, LGUs and other industry stakeholders and telcos to streamline telco-related permitting processes.
