Sen. Nancy Binay (Credit: senate.gov.ph)[/caption] “Why not provide incentives to subscribers who agree to go paperless instead of punishing those who refuse? Did these telcos think of the senior citizens and people living in areas where there is no reliable internet connection when they decided to push this new billing system?” she asked. The senator has filed Senate Resolution No. 521 which called for an investigation into the additional P50 being charged by Globe Telecoms and PLDT to subscribers who refuse to go paperless. Globe transitioned from its traditional paper billing to paperless or digital billing in September 2016 while PLDT started charging an additional P50 to its new subscribers as of July 8, 2017. Binay maintained that the additional charge for the paper billing Globe postpaid and PLDT subscribers were not in accordance with Republic Act No. 7394 otherwise known as the Consumer Act of the Philippines. She also sought an explanation from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as to why it approved the additional charge for the paperless billing scheme. “Kung mayroong mahigit 4 milyong postpaid subscribers ang isang telco at kalahati nito ay nais pa rin ang tradisyunal na paper billing, aabot sa P100 milyon buwan-buwan ang dagdag kita ng mga kumpanyang ito,” Binay said. “Bakit pinayagan ng NTC ang ganitong sistema? At bakit kailangang pasanin ito ng mga subscriber?” she asked. ]]>