OVER 2,000 telecommunication tower applications have been approved and processed by local government units (LGUs), with little more than 700 remaining to be processed, Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a televised meeting with the President late Monday.
He reported approvals for 2,220 applications and pending applications at 712.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered LGUs in August to act immediately on tower permit applications amid pressing demand for more bandwidth during the pandemic.
In a separate briefing Tuesday, Palace Spokesman Herminio L. Roque said the telecommunications industry no longer can blame the slow permit process for poor 2should respond after it urged the government to expedite approvals.
“Binibigyan natin ang pagkakataon magpakitang gilas ang mga telecoms dahil ibinigay ng Presidente ang kahilingan nila (We must allow the industry a chance to show what it is capable of after the President granted its request),” he said.
“Dapat mapabilis ang pagtayo nila ng tore…baka hindi iyon ang problema kasi hanggang ngayon hindi naman nag-i-improve (The tower erection process should speed up… maybe the permits are not the real problem because there has been little improvement so far),” he added. — Gillian M. Cortez