(Photo courtesy of Globe)
MANILA – Telecommunications service provider Globe said on Tuesday that residents of an exclusive village in Quezon City will have continued poor mobile phone service after they rejected Globe's plan to install a cell tower inside their compound.
After receiving several complaints from the residents of Acropolis Greens village in Barangay Bagumbayan, Globe in a statement said a technical survey recommended the installation of a cell site inside the village premises.
However, the Acropolis Greens Homeowners Association rejected the installation of a cell tower due to “perceived health risks” and safety concerns that a typhoon or a major earthquake will lead to the tower’s collapse, Globe said.
To address the residents’ concerns, Globe conducted a seminar and consultation to explain that there is no scientific evidence that cell towers cause cancer or any illnesses as testified by several international health bodies such as the World Health Organization.
“The Department of Health also releases compliance permits before a cell site is installed to ensure its safety,” Globe said.
Since the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), it said the government has also mandated that all major installations must be able to withstand super typhoon levels of up to 260 to 340 kilometers per hour and 7.0 intensity earthquake, based on the National Structural Code of the Philippines.
It noted that according to Secretary Eduardo del Rosario of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, there was also no need to seek permission from the homeowner’s association, building owners, or concerned tenants before building a cell site.
Despite the rejection, it asked the homeowners association to reconsider allowing the construction of a cell site in the village.
Vince Tempongko, Globe’s head of site acquisition and management, said that the government’s Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 01 series of 2020 allows the building of a cell site in the village without written permission from its residents.
“The JMC states that an application for locational clearance, barangay clearance, fire safety, evaluation certificate, and building permit shall proceed without the prior submission of the written [consent of] HOA/Condominium or Building Association/Owner or Developer of Building,” Tempongko said.
He added that surveys conducted in the village showed that there are no other available or suitable sites that will improve the situation of those affected by poor mobile service.
“The telecommunication infrastructure has to be installed within the village which is the most effective and efficient location for the cell tower. This concern is also specifically addressed in the JMC,” Tempongko said.
The JMC, signed by nine different national government agencies in July, aim to streamline the processing of requirements and reduce delays in the construction of cell sites by removing unnecessary permitting requirements. (PNA)
