RP telephones up ten-fold

RP telephones up ten-fold

MANILA, Philippines (AP): The liberalization of the telecommunications industry has increased the number of telephone lines in the Philippines by ten-fold in the past five years, the government reported on Saturday.

There were 7 million phone lines this year, up from 700,000 in 1993, and the number of telephones per 100 people rose to 9.6 from 1.2, the Department of Transportation and Communication said.

Department undersecretary Josefina Lichauco was quoted as saying that the rate of increase of telephones in the Philippines is the fastest in the world, next only to China.

"Our Filipino entrepreneurs, in strategic joint ventures with foreign investors, have been aggressive in their telecommunications ventures to catapult the country into the 21st century," Ms. Lichauco told an industry group recently.