The Davao City Chamber or Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) has called on telecommunications companies to provide better Internet connections especially as work from home schemes have been prevalent due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) amid the coronavirus.
In a press release, Belinda Torres, DCCCII executive vice president said: “If we want more people to work from home, we will need solutions at the regional level to improve internet service both the speed and quality.”
The call is part of their business recovery agenda where it includes measures that assure the safety and security of the workers by minimizing the risk of infections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These proposed measures are for companies allowed to operate during the ECQ and those who are allowed to operate once it is lifted.
The agenda also contains several initiatives on policy advocacy, business promotion, and capacity building that can help members.
In its previous advisory last month, members were advised to engage in online meetings or other online business transactions to maintain safety during dealings and discussions.
Torres earlier said she was hoping for telecommunication companies to improve their services. “I believe many companies will still choose work from home arrangements to help manage costs and maintain social distancing. Strong stable internet is required for this,” she said.
To address that, DCCCII has sent a proposal to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) which would help improve the quality of internet in the region.
“We have written to the Secretary of DICT Gregorio Honasan and proposed a way forward for our regions where local task forces can be organized to help the local ICT sector to find solutions to our concerns about connectivity,” Torres said.
Globe Telecom has assured their clients that they are working full-time to keep people connected as they do their work and other activities at home.
Among their efforts are the extension of due dates for bill payments and rewards points expiry, increase of data allocation at home, and opening up all digital channels for reloading, payments, and other services.
PLDT Telecom and Smart, on the other hand, said they are also “continuously providing constant connectivity among employees, customers, and enterprises to ensure that work from home arrangements and communications are underway.”
