The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) called for the immediate passage of the Konektadong Pinoy Bill, formerly known as the Open Access in Data Transmission Act.
In a letter sent to the Senate, the JFC said, “According to a recent World Bank study, only about 33 percent of Filipino households have access to fixed internet. Prohibitive costs and lack of internet infrastructure contribute to the prevailing digital divide. The Philippines also lags behind its middle-income peers in ASEAN in internet access, speed, and affordability for mobile and fixed services. We call for swift passage of the Konektadong Pinoy (Open Access) bill to bridge these critical gaps in internet infrastructure and help ensure that families have the internet they need for work, school, and more.”
“Passage of this bill will reduce costs and expand access to high-quality internet services by lowering barriers to entry in the data transmission sector and encouraging more competition and investment in data transmission, especially in underserved areas throughout the Philippines. It will accelerate the growing trend towards digital transformation in the Philippines.”
This legislation is part of the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). It was recently identified by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri as among the LEDAC priority measures currently pending at committee level that the Senate is on track to approve before Congress adjourns sine die.
Since the 17th Congress, JFC has supported key reforms in the bill, such as the removal of the legislative franchise requirement for data transmission industry participants and adoption of a policy framework that promotes infrastructure sharing.
The statement was released following a roundtable discussion on the latest version of the Konektadong Pinoy Bill held on April 18 at the Makati Diamond Residences, attended by stakeholders in support of the legislation and legislative staff from the Senate.
The JFC is a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, Korean chambers and PAMURI. We represent over 3,000 members engaged in $100 billion worth of trade between our countries and the Philippines and over $30 billion worth of investments in the Philippines. The JFC supports and promotes open international trade, increased foreign investment, and improved conditions for business to benefit both the Philippines and the countries we represent.
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