Money Online

This is not good... not good at all.

The text messaging could cost P0.10 more once the proposal of solons to increase text messaging fee is approved.

Some congressmen are seeking to hike text messaging fee as they see it as a good source of additional funds. Funds that could be channel to the government's free education program.

Yeah right. More funds means... more funds.

"There are more people texting than calling," Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez told reporters after presenting the proposal in a recent panel hearing. He added that with the increased text messaging fees, they could raise P200 million daily, which could be used to finance free education nationwide.

Suarez is the House Oversight committee chair. He said however that there is no guarantee that the telecommunications companies (telcos) will not pass on the additional cost to mobile phone subscribers. He can only appeal to the conscience of the telecommunications companies to shoulder the cost instead of passing in to the consumers.

Camarines Norte Rep. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, a former Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner, is also seeking to charge additional fees on mobile phone calling and internet costs should the text message cost hike is approved.

Telcos representatives apprehensive about the proposal, stating that there may be difficulties in implementing it. Lawyer Rodolfo Salalima, chief legal counsel and senior adviser of Globe Telecom, questioned how the additional cost will be applied since telcos offer various unlimited text and call promos.

They said however that they are willing to sort out issues during the technical working group meetings headed by Vinzons-Chato.

Like I said... this doesn't look good at all.