Remember the days of Islacom and Cruztelco when customers were being charged long distance for calls within the City?
It took three years before our City of Gentle People reacted to this unfair business practice. Hopefully, gentle doesn’t equate to being passive because again, it is happening in our midst.
At that time, there was no National Telecommunications Commission office in Dumaguete, and everything had to be relayed to Manila.
Now that PLDT has entered the arena around May of 2010, it seems that customers of Cruztelco again are being charged long distance for calls within the City if they call a PLDT number, but not vice versa.
The NTC has issued Memorandum Circular No. 09-07-2007 on Rules on the Interconnection of Local Exchange Carriers in Local Calling Areas. It is very clear that interconnection of local exchange carriers shall be effected not later than 90 days from the date of notice of by one LEC, copy furnishing the Commission. Full interconnection should have been effective latest September 2010.
The Consumer Advocates Inc. wrote a letter about this to Gamaliel Cordoba,the NTC Commissioner in March 2012. NTC’s own representative here in Dumaguete , Engr. Bill Peralta, claims they need “proof” of long distance charges.
So dear Dumaguetenos, if you have been charged for long distance calls within the City, please send or bring a copy of your bill to NTC’s office at Real Street, 3rd floor, Negros Barbershop building.
We were told you have a right to some form of refund from your telephone company for these unfair charges.
And it is not only for calls within the City. The same circular above states that all calls between local exchange carriers within the same area code (for us 035) are free of charge.
So if you call a number in Bais or Bayawan to any of the telephone companies, there should not be any charge and vice versa.
We urge you, gentle citizens of this Province, to be vigilant and to be heard. It is your right NOT TO BE CHARGED for long distance calls.
Contact NTC representative Engr. Bill Peralta at 422-5051. He is in his office from Tuesday to Thursday every week.
A vigilant consumer is a protected consumer.
Esther C. Windler
Consumer Advocates Inc.
