Science and Technology

Bam: New players needed to improve PH internet service

Sen. Bam Aquino still sees increased market competition as the quickest, cheapest and best solution to improve the country’s Internet service.

“The national broadband plan is a good step but increasing competition and getting more players in the telco industry is still the quickest, most sustainable solution,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

 In previous committee hearings, Sen. Bam said it was determined by various stakeholders that more players are needed to improve Internet service while keeping prices reasonable.

 “This was the most significant finding during our Senate hearings on our slow and expensive internet in the country,” said Sen. Bam.

“It was true then, it’s true now. We have to make it easier for new internet providers to enter our market,” the senator added.

Aside from pushing for the government’s national broadband plan to improve Internet access across the country, Sen. Bam is also working for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1277 or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, which he sponsored and co-authored.

Sen. Bam is the co-author and principal sponsor of Republic Act 10667 or the Philippine Competition Act, which encourages healthy and fair competition in local industries by penalizing bad market behavior and abuse of dominant positions.

Senate Bill No. 1277 is expected to hurdle its third and final reading in the Senate next week.

Sen. Bam to DICT: Present approved nat’l broadband plan to stakeholders

With the approval of the national broadband plan, Sen. Bam Aquino called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to present it stakeholders, experts and other concerned groups for suggestion and scrutiny.

“Masaya tayo’t inaprubahan na ng pamahalaan ang national broadband plan na makatutulong upang mapaganda ang kalidad at mapalawak ang sakop ng internet sa bansa,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

“Now that the plan is approved, we call on DICT to present it to stakeholders, experts and other concerned organizations for scrutiny and suggestion to ensure that it will be an effective one,” he added.

 According to Sen. Bam, the committee will conduct a hearing where the DICT can provide details of the plan, which was approved by President Duterte during Monday’s 13th Cabinet meeting.

 During last year’s committee hearing, Sen. Bam said the DICT presented three options to implement the P75-billion plan, including its preferred way of investing in Internet infrastructure, like fiber optic cables, especially in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.

Under this option, the government will also use the existing infrastructure of current players while encouraging new players to develop new Internet infrastructure.

 The DICT is expected to come out with a final national broadband plan by the 2nd quarter of 2017. The project is expected to be finished in about 2 to 3 years.

Sen. Bam is the principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1277 or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, which is being currently tackled in the plenary.

If enacted into law, free internet access will be provided in all national and local government offices, public schools, public transport terminals, public hospitals and public libraries.

 Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 1050 is included in Senate Bill No. 1277. It seeks to connect all public educational institutions to the internet to help students enhance their personal and academic development.

Bam pushes for greater internet access and free internet in public places

A measure providing free internet connectivity in public places and improving internet access across the Philippines is now closer to becoming a law, according to its main proponent, Sen. Bam Aquino.

 Sen. Bam said Senate Bill No. 1277 or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act passed the committee level and is slated for plenary deliberations.

 According to Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committees on Education and Science and Technology, free internet access will be provided in all national and local government offices, public schools, public transport terminals, public hospitals and public libraries.

 “It is imperative that we institutionalize this very important platform – to improve access to quality Internet in the Philippines especially when only 52.6% of Filipinos have Internet access,” said Sen. Bam.

 Under the measure, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be mandated to craft a plan and a timeline for the rollout of this program.

 “The DICT will also take the lead in coordinating with local government units to ensure the on-ground implementation of the program,” said Sen. Bam in his sponsorship speech.

 The measure will also authorize the DICT to streamline the process for the application of permits and certificates for the construction of infrastructure and installation of equipment necessary, in coordination with national government agencies and local government units.

 “Now is the time to invest completely in developing internet quality and bringing this powerful tool to every port, every station, every park, every museum, and every classroom in the Philippines,” Sen. Bam stressed.

 As chairman of the Committee on Education, Sen. Bam has filed Senate Bill No. 1050 seeking to connect all public educational institutions to the internet to help students enhance their personal and academic development.

 In a previous hearing, it was discovered that only 26 percent of public schools in the country have Internet access, which is detrimental to the progress of education.

Bam calls on local and int’l players to work with the DICT for better Internet

Sen. Bam calls on Internet companies here and abroad to work with the DICT to improve the quality of internet services in the Philippines.

“The success of our National Broadband Plan to improve Internet services lies in strong partnerships between government and the private sector,” said Sen. Bam after leading the Committee on Science and Technology’s hearing that looked into the initial details of the government’s national broadband plan Tuesday.

During the hearing, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) revealed initial details of its P75-billion national broadband plan, which is implementable in about 2 to 3 years.

The DICT stated that their preferred option is to invest in Internet infrastructure, like fiber optic cables, especially in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.

Under this option, the government will also use the existing infrastructure of current players while encouraging new entrants to develop new Internet infrastructure.

According to Sen. Bam, the DICT will come out with a final national broadband plan by the 2nd quarter of 2017.

 “Kapag maayos ang pagkagawa ng plano at siguraduhin na maayos ang pag-implement nito, magkakaroon tayo ng sapat na imprastraktura para tumaas ang kalidad ng internet at bumaba pa ang presyo nito,” said Sen. Bam.

 On top of the national broadband plan, Sen. Bam said the recently passed Philippine Competition Act will help create a climate that will attract foreign players to partner with Filipino companies, while the Free Internet Access in Public Spaces bill includes a provision to cut red tape for permits.

  “The policies we’re working on will also create a more competitive environment and promote ease of doing business to make it easier for new players to come,” added Sen. Bam.

Bam hopes nat’l broadband plan will boost PH internet infra

Sen. Bam Aquino hopes that the government’s national broadband plan will help leapfrog the country’s current internet infrastructure.
 
Sen. Bam said newly-created Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will present its national broadband plans to the Committee on Science and Technology, which he chairs, on Dec. 6.
 
“I’m hopeful that it will be a good proposal and that we can leapfrog the current infrastructure,” Sen. Bam said in a media interview.
 
Sen. Bam expects the DICT to present different options on the national broadband plan: use the current infrastructure, put up its own system or find other methodologies to connect.
 
“We have to know how much it will cost and what are the benefits of each option. It all boils down to cost-benefit analysis,” Sen. Bam said. “I will be cautious and wait for them to present properly.”
 
“We have to work on solutions that will give the public cheaper, better quality internet for the long term,” he added.
 
According to Sen. Bam, other stakeholders will also have a chance to scrutinize and propose changes that will fine-tune the DICT’s plan.
 
“Hopefully, we will be able to come to a consensus on what we need to do to be able to improve our internet infrastructure,” Sen. Bam said.
 
Sen. Bam also invited the National Telecommunications Commission to the hearing to inquire about the status of new players that will help improve the  competitive landscape.
 
In the 16th Congress, Sen. Bam spearheaded several hearings on the slow and expensive Internet service in the country.
 
As chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology in the 17th Congress, he has filed several bills that will improve internet quality in the Philippines.

Bam: Entice overseas Filipino scientists to return to PH, help in R&D

A senator has filed a bill seeking to provide overseas Filipino scientist with financial benefits and incentives to encourage to return to the Philippines and help boost the country’s research and development.

“Although numerous Filipino scientists would like to serve their country and contribute to our technological, social, and economic advancement, many opt to move overseas where their work is highly valued, and where there are more opportunities to conduct meaningful research,” said Sen. Bam Aquino in Senate Bill No. 1183.

 Sen. Bam saw the need to entice Filipino scientists working overseas to return to the Philippines after research showed that the country produced fewer research papers and file far fewer patents with 1.8 per million population in 2010, compared to Thailand (17.6), Malaysia (43.4), and Vietnam (3.5).

“Filipino scientists have been contributing to groundbreaking advancement in scientific research all over the world with their talent, intelligence, and creativity. Yet as a country, we are lagging behind our neighbors in scientific output,” explained Sen. Bam.

 According to Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, the measure aims to institutionalize the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

 Reinstated in 1993 by virtue of Executive Order No. 130, the DOST’s Balik Scientist Program has successfully encouraged some of our scientists to return and contribute to research that will address development gaps in the Philippines.

 The Balik Scientist Program provides financial incentives for overseas Filipino scientists and facilitates their return to work on either a short-term or long-term basis.

 The program subsidizes the cost of returning to the Philippines to impart their technical expertise to the nation, while conducting research to address our country’s needs.

 “Institutionalizing this will provide financial benefits to returning overseas scientists, but more importantly, it will signify our government’s commitment to, and recognition of science, research and development,” he added.

 Once enacted into law, Sen. Bam said the bill will assure Filipino scientists that their work is valued and that the government is their partner in promoting, and protecting research and development.

 “It is not just Filipino scientists that stand to gain from this program, but the Filipino people, as the brightest minds pour their brain power to solving longstanding problems like poverty through science and technology,” Sen. Bam stressed.

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