The Philippine Online Chronicles

Further bolstered by a United Nation report that says access to the Internet is a basic human right, a party-list representative said that the Philippine government should work on ensuring universal access to the web, starting with the improvement of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymon Palatino said improvements should be made to the NTC since the government has yet to create an agency that will oversee information and communication technology in the country.

"The Internet remains to be highly inaccessible to millions of Filipinos due to various reasons, ranging from the sorry state of bandwidth in the country to the exorbitant rates being charged by telecommunications companies for their services,” Palatino explained.

He said the UN encourages initiatives to further the access to the internet for all sectors of the population, especially persons with disabilities.

He cited consumer rights group TxtPower that said the Philippines has become a social media capital in Asia with the NTC lagging behind and failing to follow the lead of telecommunication regulators worldwide.

"The group said, without such a definition, the NTC leaves telcos practically free to hoodwink end-users, including business and the government, regarding broadband Internet services, the cost and pricing and to keep Philippine Internet access among the slowest and most expensive in the region," Palatino said.

Palatino asserted that, "Universal access to the Internet should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means with which we propel the participation of the people to social development.”