The Elimination of the Elimination of the per-minute NDD rates

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They give you cake and just when you’re about to eat it, they grab it from your hand and smother you with it.

The move by PLDT and Globelines to slash or demolish the per-minute NDD rates altogether was commendable. For PLDT subscribers for an additional 200 pesos flat rate, one can make unlimited calls any other PLDT line all over the country. Globe on the other hand would charge nothing for Globe to Globe NDD calls. In times of over-inflated costs of living, this meant empowering the Filipino with communication privileges for the price of almost nothing. It can easily unite the country in so many ways and it can improve business and trade in many others. Globe and PLDT have done the math of cheap price = more subscribers = good for business = good for the country and its people. It is a win- win situation.

But why oh why would the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) order a halt to these services?

“According to the NTC, the order was made in view of serious complaints filed by the Private Telephone Companies of the Philippines (Paptelco) and PT&T on grounds of predatory pricing and discriminatory rates”. – Philippine Star Jan. 6, 05

I think the biggest victims of discrimination (AGAIN) here are the common Filipino people – deprived for so long from basic services due to high costs. This is the reason why we have Auto Load (this Issue is for another day), noodle packets the size of my fist, broadband services limited to posh villages and yes, piracy. What’s more, neither Globe nor Smart batted an eyelash with the newest cellular player in town – Sun (by Digitel) with its 24/7 fixed rate-unlimited calls/text among Sun Cellular subscribers. Globe and Smart know that despite a third player, there are endless opportunities in the Philippine mobile market. Sun cellular subscriptions are now selling like hot cakes, clogging the networks, to which Sun is responding to quickly.

“Officials of PLDT and Globe noted that the NTC order did not consider the tremendous benefits that the elimination of the per minute addition charge for NDD or national long distance calls have for their millions of subscribers.” – Philippine Star.

Tremendous benefits indeed. The fact that these two companies are offering these low rates to get new subscribers means that there is infrastructure ready to be taken advantage of – AT THE COST OF A DIME! If the free/ low cost NDD service doesn’t push thru, who would want a landline phone when almost everyone has a celphone for texting these days? Would the ready lines just then go to waste and stagnate just like what happened to the NAIA3? Except for the cost issues, talking is always far better than texting and the elimination of the per-minute NDD rates will make it easier for everybody.
Here are just some benefits that we can enjoy with the elimination of the per-minute NDD rates:

1. No more worries about credit limits or NDD rates (obviously)
2. No need to scour the city/town for an NDD prepaid card because you didn’t have a landline phone or your NDD is disabled (mahal nga kasi)
3. No need to go to a Tawag Center to tell your parents to send more money or that your wife has given birth to a boy.
4. No need to rush to say everything in 3 minutes.
5. No need to guard the telephone every time somebody uses it.
6. It will be easier for people in the provinces to call Manila offices or in other main cities. Eg. (Job applications, government services, TV stations, etc).
7. The country will be much more easily linked. Mas mabilis ang pagkalat ng balita.
8. It is a good, easily accessible too tool for disaster warnings and alerts.
9. It will open the door to easier Internet accessibility.
10. Many businesses in the provinces can now have their own lines paving the way to more opportunities.
11. In emergency cases, NDD will no longer be a hindrance.


Bring back the PLDT and Globelines NDD promos. It is the best thing that ever happened to Philippines telecommunications.