Texter's
Declaration
Texters
unite!
Stand
up to the Telecom companies!
We,
cell phone subscribers of all ages and classes,
inspired by our role as information providers
in People Power 2, conscious of our rights
as consumers and citizens, and believing that
power lies at the hands of a united people,
declare the following:
We
are outraged over the plan of Globe Telecoms
and Smart Communications to cut their free
text message (SMS) allocations for all subscribers.
This is nothing but a blatant profiteering
scheme by monopolies in the Philippine telecommunications
industry whose greed for profits have become
insatiable;
We
do not believe that these monopolies are
losing money. In its midyear 2001 report,
Globe declared a total of P15.4 billion
in gross operating revenues, signifying
a 84.6% increase from P8.4 billion for the
same period in 2000. Globe's net income
for the first quarter of the year is P1.07
billion. (Source: Globe website)
For
its part, Smart reversed its financial situation
from a loss of nearly P1.9 billion in the
first half 2000 to a net income of P1.8
billion in the same period this year. For
the six months ended 30th June 2001, Smart
had subscriber revenues of P12.3 billion,
or an 85.3% increase from revenues of P6.6
billion for the same period in 2000. (Source:
Smart website)
We
are sick and tired of their promises of
new equipment and network expansion efforts
when all we get are late text messages,
dropped calls, generally lousy services,
weak signals, questionable accounting of
calls and text messages and high fees. In
fact, majority of us who have prepaid accounts
are forced to accept one-sided terms and
bereft of any protection from bad services.
Its
about time that Globe and Smart their promises.
We
are frustrated that the government, instead
of protecting the Filipino consumer, seems
to be coddling monopolies like Globe and
Smart. The National Telecommunications Commission
(NTC) has failed to protect public interest
and has allowed these companies, in the
guise of deregulation, to engage in highly
immoral and rapacious monopolistic practices.
Now
we ask the people, is this what we get for
making the Philippines the text messaging
capital of the world? Is this what we consumers
deserve for giving these monopolies billions
in annual profits? How audacious for Globe
and Smart to threaten us with higher rates
if we do not agree to their scheme!
-
We are calling on the Filipino consumers
to act now to protect our rights. We specifically
demand that:
1.
Globe and Smart refrain from carrying out
their free text message reduction scheme.
2. The NTC investigate and resolve persistent
complaints of lousy services from Globe,
Smart and other telecomunication service
providers in the country
3. The government reviews its telecomunications
policy, especially the deregulation of the
market which has allowed monopolies like
Smart and Globe to dictate on the consumers.
Done
on 27 Aug. 2001, Quezon City, Philippines.
TXTPOWER
Anthony Ian Cruz, activist writer
Raymond Palatino, student leader
Sandra Araullo, athlete
Ruth Cervantes, radio broadcaster
Trixie Concepcion, environmentalist
Roland Tolentino, college professor
Emil Mercado, visual artist
Rey Asis, campus journalist
Gerry Kaimo, net-activist
Ederic Eder, journalist
Sign
your name, forward to your friends, and
send a copy of this manifesto to txtpower[at]hotmail[dot]com.
