PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications have reaffirmed their commitment to back the Government’s digitalization efforts. They aim to streamline and transform government processes, narrow the digital divide, and implement policies aligned with the Government’s vision of a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’.
Among initiatives supported by the PLDT Group is the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA)’s Electronic Business One-Stop Shops (eBOSS) program, which seeks to automate the processing of business permits, related clearances, and licenses in all cities and municipalities across the country, and for which PLDT and Smart are providing an initial 100 computer units to boost the program’s nationwide rollout.
PLDT and Smart have also been consistently supporting Executive Order No. 32 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). Issued last year by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., EO 32 streamlined the permitting process for the construction, installation, repair, operation and maintenance of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure in the country, fast-tracking the PLDT Group’s deployment of network infrastructure nationwide.
“Our unwavering support for government efforts to improve public service delivery—by eliminating red tape, fostering private-public collaboration, and advancing digitalization—reflects PLDT Group’s mission to uplift Filipino lives through technology,” said Atty Pamela B. Felizarta, VP and Department Head for Joint Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs at Smart.
According to ARTA, EO 32 has reduced the time required to energize a telco tower to just 59 days, and driven a significant increase in the number of permits approved by local government units, which went up by 48% between May 2022 and May 2024.
Smart also backs the passage of legislation seeking to lower the cost of internet in the country, such as House Bill No. 10699, or the “Sana All May Internet Act”, which aims to provide cheaper and more accessible internet by removing the spectrum user fee (SUF) on Wi-Fi, aiding the widespread rollout of telco infrastructure nationwide and eventually lowering the cost of telco services.
Since 2019, PLDT and Smart have been working closely with government agencies such as ARTA, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, local government units, and other industry stakeholders and telcos to streamline the process of securing permits for the construction and deployment of telco infrastructure, among others.
PLDT and Smart have likewise pledged their support for the President’s directive to enhance internet access in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), as part of the government’s “Broadband ng Masa” program, and in collaboration with the Private Sector Advisory Council’s Digital Infrastructure sector (PSAC DI) and telco providers. The PLDT Group’s commitment to improving digital access bolsters its long-standing advocacy for education and inclusive economic growth by making vital digital services more accessible to underserved communities.
These initiatives form part of PLDT and Smart’s longstanding partnership with the Government as a whole to bring the benefits of the internet closer to more Filipinos across the country and contribute to the country’s achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
