Philippine Laws and VoIP

The Philippines is considered a poor country in terms of GNPs and because of its huge foreign debt. Actually, to be truthful about it, the only thing that perks up the economy of the Philippines is the remittances of its foreign workers abroad. You can just base it on two aspects, like the housing and car industry.

Wherever you go today in the Philippines, newly built big and sprawling residential houses are owned by families with family members working abroad. Brand new cars are also mostly owned by families of OFW or Overseas Foreign Workers. If you are an employee of a government or private companies even when you hold managerial position, you will now be hard put to built a house or buy a spanking new car. Employees in the Philippines, both
private or government are suffering heavily under the present government, because of the uncontrolled spiraling of prices.

It is no wonder then that there are an ever continuing number of outward bound Filipinos searching for better pay outside of the Philippines.

The very large number of Filipino workers abroad and their families in the Philippines can benefit immensely if they can use the VoIP service in the Philippines. The present rate of overseas call charge by telephone operators is 0.40 cents per one minute call. If they use a VoIP phone, they will only be paying less than 0.10 cents per call, or even lower. The problem in the Philippines is that the government regulating body which is the National Telecommunication Commission or the NTC, do not look kindly to VoIP providers in their quest for permission to operate in the Philippines.

Although the national telecommunication commission or the NTC have already set guidelines for those who may wish to operate VoIP in the Philippines, the guidelines set forth are just so tough; no provider in his right mind would ever dare to give a thought about it. We do not know the actual reason for this. It might be that indeed, the NTC is maybe making it tough for VoIP providers to get in the Philippines for reasons of public communication safety. If there are other reasons, well, we do not know about them.

But the opportunity here in the Philippines for VoIP operators would have successfully been concluded if not for the NTC’s tough set of guidelines. Both sides, the calling public and the providers would have greatly benefited if it were implemented nearly 3 years ago. Even the government would have collected large taxes from the project. In effect, all would have immensely profited from the project, except of course, the telephone company operating the long distance telephone communication system. They could have lost a lot of money, if the NTC did not put such an
impossible guidelines for the VoIP operators to follow.

The NTC was only concerned for the communication safety of the public that is why they did what they have to do. Government agencies in the Philippines are really sincere in the protection of public safety, which is why the public trust them so much. I wonder if other nations in Asia who are already benefiting from
VoIP operations do not have the sincerity of their own NTCs to protect the welfare of the public? Like the sincerity of the Philippines own NTC? I am just wondering.

Anyway, I also believe that once VoIP can be given the chance to operate in the Philippines, the public, especially the families of OFW working abroad, can greatly benefit by their low rates as compared to the rates that the telephone companies are charging them now.

This piece has just made me realize that indeed, it was the stiff
guidelines by the NTC that prevented many investors willing to do business in the Philippines as VoIP provider. In fact, 3 years ago, I was approached by a friend who invited me to join his project relating to this business. Actually, I agreed to his business proposal. What happened however, was that my friend who lives in the U.S. has not been heard of since, and I think he had already left for the U.S. after having finally decided to put off his plans for the VoIP business due to the stringent guideless put up by the NTC