CitizenWatch Philippines is calling on the Senate to amend pending legislation seeking to update the obsolete National Building Code to explicitly require broadband connectivity as a standard in all public and private buildings.
Former Quezon City Congressman Kit Belmonte, co-convenor of the group, said digital infrastructure provisions must be included in the Senate measure to align with the government’s initiatives for inclusive internet connectivity.
“We fully support efforts to modernize the National Building Code,” Belmonte said. “But the pending Senate bill must go further. It must clearly require mandatory digital infrastructure provisions in both new and existing buildings. Otherwise, we are reforming for safety but ignoring connectivity, which is now just as essential.”
Belmonte said internet access should be treated as a basic utility.
“Internet connectivity is now an indispensable tool. It is a basic human right in a digital economy,” he said. “A building without reliable internet and mobile signal is like a building with plumbing but no water supply. It limits opportunity.”
CitizenWatch is pushing for the Senate measure to include mandatory in-building physical infrastructure such as dedicated risers, pathways, and equipment spaces, as well as fiber-optic cabling capable of supporting high-capacity and high-speed requirements.
The group also wants provisions requiring strong indoor mobile signal, including in-building solutions in high-rise and high-density developments.
“Connectivity must be accessed wherever the user is,” Belmonte said. “We can build cell towers across the country, but if signals die at the walls of condominiums, offices, or malls, the last mile collapses. That is where many Filipinos live and work.”
The group is also advocating a “zero lease” or fair-access policy to prevent excessive charges on telecommunications providers for installing
facilities inside buildings.
“Building owners should not impose unreasonable lease fees that ultimately raise costs for consumers,” Belmonte said. “The law must ensure fair, non-discriminatory access and prevent exclusive arrangements that limit a resident’s choice of provider.”
Belmonte emphasized that future-proofing buildings by design would prevent expensive retrofits later.
“Buildings constructed today will stand for 50 years or more,” he said. “If we fail to embed fiber-ready and telco-ready standards now, we are locking in decades of avoidable digital gaps.”
He added that stronger in-building connectivity would directly support national programs such as the National Broadband Program and Free Wi-Fi for All.
“Government can invest billions in backbone infrastructure, but if buildings are not ready to receive high-speed connectivity, those investments will not fully reach end users,” Belmonte said.
CitizenWatch also pointed to international benchmarks. Hong Kong, Singapore, the European Union, and Australia have adopted policies requiring in-building telecommunications infrastructure and fair access for providers, similar to how water and electricity are included in building plans and provided access for free to buildings and residential developments.
“These economies recognized that digital infrastructure is central to competitiveness,” Belmonte added. “If we want to align with global digital leaders, our laws must reflect that reality.”
Belmonte urged senators to introduce amendments that incorporate these digital infrastructure provisions as the measure moves forward.
“We call on the Senate to strengthen the pending bill by mandating broadband-ready, mobile-ready buildings across the country. If we build right today, we build a more inclusive, more productive, and thriving digital economy.”
