LINK-UP. Gov. Pineda leads toast for the completion of Globe-PLDT interconnection in Pampanga with (L-R) PLDT’s Lim, NTC’s Medina, Cordoba and Deles, Vice Gov. Guiao, NTC Director Sitchon and Globe’s Castelo.
Photo by Bong Z. Lacson
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – It was long in coming – all seven years in the making – but it’s finally here: competing telecommunication companies synthesizing their services in Pampanga.
On Friday, before a beaming Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda, Globe Telecom and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. officially forged their local interconnection service in the province.
“We are very happy to have fully completed and activated our local interconnection service with PLDT after negotiating for several years,” said Atty. Froilan M. Castelo, head for corporate and legal services of Globe, in his message.
He added: “Our efforts have finally paid off in ensuring the delivery of faster and more affordable telecommunication services for the people of Pampanga.”
For his part, Armando D. Lim, senior manager of PLDT-Pampanga, said the interconnection was a response to the request of the provincial government to provide the Kapampangans fast, smooth and affordable communication.
Lim went even further to say : “This is only the first step. Rest assured that we will province service needed to support the various projects of the provincial government.”
Before the interconnection, Pampanga residents had to pay long distance charge of P5-P6 per minute to call Globe from PLDT and vice versa which is decidedly a situation that can be very costly for the residents, moreso to business entities that routinely log more frequent and longer calls pursuant to their operations.
With the interconnection, subscribers, both personal and corporate, are freed of long distance charges.
While the interconnection of telephone services has long been on the agenda of the provincial and municipal governments, it was in November 2010 that 4th District Board Member Ricardo Yabut filed Resolution No. 2016, petitioning the PLDT to fast track the implementation of local interconnection services with Globe in areas of common presence in Pampanga.
Governor Pineda said PLDT chair Manny V. Pangilinan’s being a Kapampangan, “tremendously helped” in facilitating the interconnection.
Pampanga is only the second are – next to Davao City last July 2010 – where Globe has completed its local interconnection services with PLDT.
To date, there are over 30 provinces and cities nationwide awaiting full interconnection between the two telecom giants. These include the Central Luzon provinces of Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija.
Said Castelo: “Globe remains relentless in working with the National Telecommunications Commission and local government units in aggressively pushing full interconnection for the benefit of the subscribers.”
In his inspirational message at Friday’s launch at the Pampanga Capitol, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba congratulated Globe and PLDT for the “seamless connection” which “signifies belief in the commitment of industry players to serve their constituents.”
Also present at the launch were NTC deputy commissioners Carlo Jose Medina and Delilah Deles and regional director Azor Sitchon, Vice Gov. Yeng Guiao and the provincial board, and municipal mayors.
