Poe backs foreign control of some public utilities

Presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe expressed support for changes in the economic provisions of the constitution to allow foreign control over certain utilities to improve services and drive down prices.

Poe made the remark at the Phlippine Daily Inquirer's news forum after she was asked about how to make Internet services faster in the Philippines.

She said allowing foreign companies to have long term leases on certain utilities will make the Internet service in the Philippines more efficient. The first step, she said, is to revise some economic provisions in the Constitution.

"There are certain provisions there that will allow greater competition in our country that will drive prices down and make services more efficient," Poe said.

"One of them—and this will be controversial—is certain public utilities to be also owned by foreign companies," she added.

Poe said that the government should allow these companies to have long-term leases.

She, however, stressed that foreigners should not be allowed possession on land.

"Let us please encourage now the debate on foreign ownership on certain utilities.... Not all, I am against the foreign ownership of land," Poe said.

The Philippines has one of slowest average Internet speed at 3.6 mbps, which way below the global standard. -Jessica Bartolome/NB, GMA News