INATASAN ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang lahat ng local government chief executives sa bansa na aksiyonan nang mabilis ang aplikasyon ng telcos para sa tower building permit, o harapin ang ‘pinakamasamang epekto’ ng pagkakaantala ng cell sites.
Sa COVID-19 briefing sa Malacañang, masusing tinalakay ng halatang nayayamot na Pangulo ang mga paraan kung paano mapagbubuti ang internet connectivity para sa online learning sa bansa nang ipabatid sa kanya na ang LGUs ay bahagi ng ‘mas malaking problema’ sa pagtatayo ng cellular tower.
“We are suffering from this problem of infrastructure construction delay for many, many years, even before your administration, 25-29 permits will take us eight months to secure… aside from different kinds of tower fees and special land use permit,” pahayag ni Ernest Cu, Globe Telecom president and CEO, na nakikinig sa COVID-19 briefing ng Pangulo.
Bilang tugon, sinabi ni Duterte, “you can ask Bong (Sen. Go), or Dominguez (finance secretary), or the Generals, or Sec. Año.
Just lodge your complaint directly… because my order to the Cabinet now is to take the most drastic measure they can find.”
“This is my last mile, I make no apologies about it,” pagbibigay-diin ni Duterte.
Sa kanyang panig, tiniyak ni Department of the Interior and Local Government Sec. Eduardo Año, nasa parehong briefing, sa telco executives na tatalima nang mahigpit ang mga lokal na pamahalaan sa kautusan ng Pangulo para pabilisin ang proseso at pag-iisyu ng lahat ng digital infrastructure construction clearances at permits.
“From 200 days down to 20 or 16 days, or even less. That’s our target from filing to the releasing of the building permit application,” sabi ni Año, patungkol sa pinaikling processing time sa ilalim ng bagong memoramdum circular ng national government.
Ayon sa DILG chief, “We will make it sure that all local government units and other agencies involved in the permitting of the cellular towers and digital infrastructures will strictly follow the fast-tracking of the approval.”