DILG to streamline processing for new cell sites

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has assured the people that approval for the building of cell sites in the country will now take less than a month following the streamlining of government permits after telecommunications firms blamed local government units (LGUs) for the delay in the improvement of services.

Año said that a recently issued joint memorandum circular (JMC) will ensure that documentary requirements and processing for building applications on common telco towers would be streamlined to fast-track the construction of cellular towers.

Año said in a statement in Filipino it used to take 200 days to apply for a permit, but under the new JMC with all agencies and LGUs, the processing will be simultaneous and the permits would bout in less than a month..

The JMC was issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Anti-Red Tape Authority and other government agencies.

Only documentary requirements mandated in the JMC would be asked from the telcos, and LGUs are prohibited from requiring other documents from applicant network providers.

The circular also removed redundant and unnecessary steps in the process that hindered the construction of the common cellular tower sites, which included resolutions from even homeowners’ associations and city councils.

The reduced requirements still include barangay clearance, documentary requirements for building permit applications, property documents and select ancillary and accessory permits.

Año said that with the JMC, telcos, including Globe Telecom, PLDT/Smart Communications and the new player Dito Telecommunity Corp., could address the public need for improved services.

He said that the telco companies should seize this opportunity and provide their service amid the shift to more digital services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.