DILG: Telcos can now secure permits to build towers in less than a month

Telecommunications companies can now secure permits to build cellular towers in less than a month's time, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Saturday.

In a statement, the DILG said that it will now take less than a month from the previous 6-7 months to secure government permits to build telecommunications towers in the Philippines.

During his 5th State of the Nation Address last Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte directed relevant agencies to ensure the improvement of digital infrastructure in the country.

During the President's public address on Friday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reported that the DILG, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), together with other national government agencies (NGAs), have issued a joint memorandum circular (JMC) streamlining documentary requirements and processing time for building permit applications on shared passive telecommunications tower infrastructure (PTTI), also known as  common telecommunications towers.

Philippine telcos,  in response to Duterte's ultimatum to shape up and improve on their services until December this year, complained about the time-consuming processes in securing permits to build cell towers especially from the local governments. 

But Año pointed out, “Dati po inaabot ng 200 days yung pag-apply ng permit. Dito po sa bagong JMC namin kasama ang lahat ng ahensya at mga local government units (LGUs), sabay-sabay na ang pag-process, makukuha po lahat ng permit in less than a month.”

“Dati po kailangan ng home owners association resolution, kailangan pa ng sangguniang bayan resolution, ngayon, wala  na po 'yan. Di na po ‘yan kailangan. Lahat po ng steps na nagpapabagal sa proseso ay inalis na natin,” he  added.

Thus, telecommunications firms such as Globe Telecom, PLDT and/or Smart Communications, and Dito Telecommunity Corp --the 3rd Telco player -- can now address the public clamor for improved telecommunications services especially during the global pandemic where millions of people are working from home, according to Año.

He said that with the signing of the JMC, he hopes that the telecommunications companies will seize this opportunity to improve their services.

“I hope they take this golden opportunity to further improve their service to the public,” he said.

Aside from the DILG and ARTA, the JMC was also signed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology; Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD); Department of Public Works and Highways; Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines; Department of Health; and Food and Drug Administration, making it a whole-of-government undertaking.

“Sinisigurado po namin na ang mga LGU at ang mga ahensiya ay susunod mga pamantayan na mas mabilis na pag-proseso ng licences, permits at saka clearances,” he said.

Streamlined processing time

Año said that the JMC prescribes that LGUs and NGAs shall only require documents stipulated in the memorandum and are prohibited from requiring anything else from applicant network providers.

“Kung ano lang ang nakasaad sa JMC, ‘yun lang ang hihingin ng mga LGU sa mga network provider at wala ng iba pa.”

Reduced requirements, he said, include:

• Barangay clearance,
• documentary requirements for building permit applications on common towers such as Unified Application Form for Locational Permit,
• Fire Safety Evaluation Certificate,
• Building Permit,
• Property documents (owners/authorized occupants of Registered/Untitled lands,
• authorized occupants of registered land), and
• Select ancillary permit and accessory permits requirements.

He added that LGUs must also adhere to the minimum processing time enforced through the JMC. “According to the memorandum, the prescribed processing time for construction-related permits for common towers shall be counted from the date the complete application was submitted to the concerned agency.”

He said that in seven working days, the  locational clearance, barangay clearance, Fire Safety Evaluation Certificate from the Bureau of Fire, and Building Permit shall be issued all together, exclusive of the period of appeals.

If the LGU is without a Comprehensive Land Use Plan and is unable to issue a Location Clearance, Año said that the applicant may secure said Location Clearance from the regional office of DHSUD within seven days. Height Clearance Certificate shall also be issued within seven days.

He also said that application for locational clearance, barangay clearance, Fire Safety Evaluation Certificate, and Building Permit shall proceed without need of a written consent from home owners association or the condominium owner, among others.

If the Shared PTTI or common tower is proposed to be located on a privately-owned land within a residential subdivision, the telco shall certify that there is no other available or suitable site within the coverage area. —LBG, GMA News