DAVAO CITY, Philippines – City councilors here grilled the Philippine Long Distance Telephone representative invited in the council session Tuesday to discuss the poor connectivity and services provided to subscribers in the city.
The councilors echoed complaints from subscribers of slow internet connectivity, a point raised by Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang to PLDT Mindanao Area Consumer Experience head Alan Arabrina who attended the hearing. Dayanghirang also complained of the sudden loss of internet connection and phone connection on Monday.
Arabrina explained that Monday’s signal disruption experienced by PLDT Home and Smart subscribers was due to the sudden cut in the fiber optic transmission lines in the areas of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, and Barangay Lunocan, Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon caused by the construction work and road-widening projects in the area.
“We had service interruption scenarios yesterday. First, there is a break in the major fiber optic cable in San Francisco resulting in voice but slow internet service then minutes there is also a break on the other side (Manolo Fortich) that resulted in no voice and internet within Davao area” he said.
Dayanghirang raised concerns about this kind of accident and slow connection as more students will go online on the opening of public schools in October.
Arabrina explained that home connection will usually experience a downgrade in subscription speed due to the excessive number of gadgets connected per bandwidth. “Our subscribers do not know that their subscription is not enough versus their requirement at home. That’s why they are complaining about the slow connection”, he said.
But Councilor Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique Advincula was direct in her dismay on this matter. “Honestly, we cannot feel your service,” she told Arabrina.
Slow internet connection has been frequently raised by subscribers in the city, which has disrupted online classes, work from home systems, online transactions and other online activities made more frequently in this pandemic. It can be recalled that the city council was forced to call off their regular session a week ago due to poor internet connection.
Dayanghirang also raised other concerns on PLDT such as their failure to enforce health protocols such as physical distancing when their subscribers line up in their offices.
He also got irked when the representative from Smart- PLDT cannot provide data about the number of subscribers and the percentage of complaints, they received in Davao City.
The council will set another session to face representatives of Smart-PLDT, Globe, and DITO telecommunications on their next session to tackle these complaints. Dayanghirang and Councilor Diosdado Angelo Mahipus Jr said they will inquire about taxation of these companies. (davaotoday.com)
