Members of the Baguio City Council urged Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating within the city to enhance their services and respond promptly to issues during the rainy season.
During the regular session on August 5, 2024,Councilor Fred Bagbagen, chairperson of the City Council’s Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation, and Traffic Legislation, raised concerns about poor internet connectivity which causes inconvenience to the public. This issue has been brought up by the city council multiple times during their regular sessions.
Representatives of Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. appeared before the city council to update the local legislative body on their actions in addressing various service issues.
Bagbagen inquired if the ISPs had made any adjustments to improve internet connectivity since these complaints were raised.
PLDT and Globe said they had increased their manpower to address connectivity issues.Both ISPs promised to resolve them within this month to achieve stabilized internet service.
Responding to Councilor Vladimir Cayabas regarding rebates and service response times, PLDT and Globe said they offer rebates for service downtime, but customers must visit the business office for the request.
Cayabas suggested that ISPs should proactively compute and apply rebates to customers’ accounts rather than requiring customers to make the request as not all subscribers are aware of the rebate system.
He also expressed concerns about response times particularly with the influx of subscribers at the start of the school year during the rainy season. He asked the ISPs to outline their plans for enhancing response times to address these challenges effectively.
Meanwhile, Councilor Jose Molintas pointed out problems with unused wires posing a danger to the public and the unsightly appearance of tangled wires. He referenced City Ordinance 36-2024, which aims to address and manage issues related to public nuisances, including unsafe and unsightly telco and electric wires.
PLDT and Globe emphasized that they consistently and proactively perform wiring clean-ups to reduce the risk of accidents and ensure safety, adding that they had already migrated from copper cables to fiber optic cables to further enhance safety and reliability.
Molintas advised the ISPs to coordinate with the city government to study for the implementation of wire management projects. They expressed willingness to cooperate with the initiatives of the city government to address spaghetti wire issues.
Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan appealed to the telecommunications companies to improve their services, reminding them of their social responsibility to the city.
“I hope that your services to the city will see substantial improvement. You have a responsibility to the city, and I hope you will fulfill it,” Olowan stated.
The city council will invite the other ISPs/telcos that were not present during the dialogue, specifically Smart Communications, Inc. and DITO Telecommunity, to provide updates on their service improvements and future plans. **Jordan G. Habbiling
