Pres. Duterte warns current telcos to improve services or face closure

President Rodrigo Duterte has warned two giant telecommunications companies to improve their services to support government efforts in strengthening digital learning platforms or else they will be shut down, during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27. The president has expressed that the government will increase the number of schools with information and communications technology (ICT) equipment to support the Department of Education's (DepEd) Learning Continuity Program for blended learning amid the pandemic.

Photo credit: filipinotimes.net

Due to Duterte's frustration over the services of the current telecommunications in the country, he allowed the entry of a third telecommunications company, DITO Telecommunity Corp. (formerly known as Mislatel).

DITO is a partnership between Davao businessman Dennis Uy’s Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. and China Telecommunications Corp. They had targeted to start operations in mid-2020, however the completion of its infrastructure facilities has been impeded by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis. Uy was one of the businessmen who donated millions to the Duterte presidential campaign in 2016.

The President also retraced his approval with limited face-to-face learning starting January 2021. Earlier, he has allowed face-to-face learning in select areas where there's few or no existing COVID-19 cases. 

Duterte reverted to his earlier statement that he will not allow face-to-face learning until a vaccine against Covid-19 becomes available, he said in his fifth Sona attended by select legislators and empty gallery.

“I cannot and will not put at risk the health and lives of our students and teachers,” he said.

Duterte was thinking that a vaccine would be available by September 2020 when he approved the Department of Education (DepEd) program to allow face-to-face learning in areas with few to zero Covid-19 cases.

He said he has asked China President Xi Jinping four days ago to allow the Philippines credit for the acquisition of the vaccine as soon as this becomes available.

With that, DepEd is implementing multiple learning delivery modalities, including online distance learning platforms which are possible only with efficient telecommunications services instead of face-to-face learning

Duterte has again expressed frustration over the current state of telecommunications in the country. He said telecommunications companies should improve their capitalization and improve their services, or the government will be “forced to take drastic steps.”

“Alam mo, itong mga nagbibigay ng (these companies involve in giving) public services, you better improve. Huwag na man ninyo kaming pahintayin ng sampung taon bago kami makakamit ng mga (Do not let us wait for ten years before we can enjoy the) services that the other countries are enjoying,” he said.

He said that the improvement only needs added capitalization, or the infusion of money and ordered the companies to go look for it.

If you are not ready to improve, I might just as well close all of you and revert back to the line telephone. I will get your frequencies and expropriate it to the government,

he added.