In an exclusive interview with the Tribune, the official said liberation from OP is seen as the best solution to its long-time woes that range from miniscule salary, decrepit apparatus, very little budget and lack of communications competent workers.
“It’s best time for our commission to be reorganized so that we can enjoy the fruits of our hefty income. We can’t feel the blessings of the money we’ve been generating for the national government. Where is that money going? We can’t feel it as far as our salary is concerned,” a ranking NTC official, who refused to be named, said.
The official said when they were removed from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC), they thought their lives will be better. But the result of the turnover from DoTC to OP was a mistake because they feel that they are now deserted by Malacañang.
“Our counterpart in the US is the Federal Communication Commission. That is a very powerful agency but here we cannot even punish any telco (telecommunications company) because our organizational structure is old, especially our apparatus,” he said.
He added modernization alone cannot solve the miseries of the people in NTC because its problem is deeply rooted to its organizational flaws.
The official said the current set-up doesn’t allow the NTC to shoulder any skill-enhancing course of its officials whether locally or abroad, thus forcing them to rely on government and private sector-sponsored schooling for their workers to have advanced schooling on telecommunications.
“How often does USAID sponsor scholarship grants? That’s the only time that we can send our employee abroad to get free crash course?” he asked. Also needed to be restructured is the setting of fixed term for their commissioners so that there will be security of tenure and continuity in the programs of NTC.
NTC’s annual budget is only P300 million, just one-tenth of the yearly income it turns over to the national government.
