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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 9959
Introduced by Hon. Amparo Maria J. Zamora 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
EasyCall Communications Philippines Inc. (PSE:ECP), a company with over 30 
years of history, started its journey in the paging industry in the 1990s and has since 
diversified into contact center outsourcing, innovative solutions and information 
technology-related businesses. The company currently operates two main lines of 
business - managed connectivity services and technology and data services. These 
operations are designed to bolster the functioning of enterprises and companies through 
the provision of IT-related services. 
The company's vision focuses on unlocking value through technology. In line 
with this, EasyCall manages its data connectivity with the help of its VSAT line of 
business, providing connectivity solutions to customers, particularly those in unserved 
and underserved areas across the Philippines. Through its operations, it strives to be a 
reliable and efficient technology partner for enterprises, and continues to look into 
enhancing customer expectations and operations via data technology. 
Recognizing the importance of data and digitization in today’s work 
environment, EasyCall continuously evaluates innovative market products and works 
towards building its existing pool of services, together with a strong team of 
professionals skilled in various technology services.  
EasyCall's commitment is to provide its existing customers with managed 
connectivity services, and technology and data services while expanding its customer 
base and team, focusing on data services on the cloud, data analytics, cybersecurity, and 
satellite connectivity. The aim is to provide connectivity to underserved and unserved 
areas, thereby bridging the digital divide. This goal is particularly pertinent given the 
archipelagic nature of the Philippines. 
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February 20, 2024


 
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The company remains optimistic about its ability to help customers across the 
country unlock value through technology. The draft bill for renewal is part of EasyCall's 
ongoing efforts to meet the connectivity needs of underserved and unserved areas, 
ultimately aiming to bridge the digital divide and provide more opportunities, visibility 
and innovation to its roster of customers. 
 
EasyCall was formerly called Francisco N. Cervantes, Inc. The latter is the 
subject of Republic Act No. 5954, as amended by Republic Act No. 7110 (RA 7110), 
wherein Francisco N. Cervantes, Inc. was granted a franchise to construct, install, 
establish, and operate radio stations for domestic and international communications. 
The said legislative franchise was extended for another twenty-five (25) years from 04 
March 1999 (Section 4 of RA 7110).  
 
The legislative franchise will end by 04 March 2024 and thus, the need for the 
proposed bill to enacted immediately. 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
HON. AMPARO MARIA J. ZAMORA 
                                        
    Representative. 2nd District of Taguig 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Second Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 9959 
Introduced by Hon. Amparo Maria J. Zamora 
AN ACT 
EXTENDING THE FRANCHISE GRANTED UNDER REPUBLIC ACT NO. 
5954, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7110 TO EASYCALL 
COMMUNICATIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS 
FRANCISCO N. CERVANTES, INC.) FOR TWENTY-FIVE (25) YEARS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1.  Short Title. – This Act shall be known as “An Act Extending 
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the Legislative Franchise of EasyCall Communications Philippines, Inc. to twenty-
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five (25) years.”  
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SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. – 
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a. Electronic communications network shall refer to: (1) a transmission
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system for conveyance by use of electrical, magnetic, or electromagnetic 
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energy, of signals of any description; and (2) any of the following as are 
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used, by the person providing the system and in association with it, for 
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conveyance of the signals: (i) apparatus comprised in the system; (ii) an 
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apparatus used for the switching and routing of the signals; and (iii) 
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software and stored data. 
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b. Electronic communications service shall refer to services that are 
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principally conveyed by means of an electronic communications network 
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of signals. It includes wired, wireless, fixed, cellular, and/or mobile, or 
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integrated telecommunications, computer, electronic services, including 
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value-added services, or technologies related to such service which are at 
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present available through technological advances or innovations in the 
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future, and fixed and mobile stations. 
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c. EasyCall 
Communications 
Philippines 
shall 
also 
be 
used 
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interchangeably with the acronym ECP and “grantee”.  
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d. Telecommunications shall include “electronic telecommunications”. 
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SEC. 3. Legislative Franchise. -  Subject to the provisions of the Philippine 
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Constitution and applicable laws, rules and regulations, the franchise granted to 
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Easycall Communications Philippines, Inc., (formerly Francisco N. Cervantes, Inc.) 
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under Republic Act No. 5954, as amended by Republic Act No. 7110, is hereby 
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extended for twenty-five (25) years from March 4, 2024 which is the date of 
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expiration thereof under the said act.  
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The grantee is hereby bestowed the right to establish, operate, manage, lease, 
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maintain, purchase, and carry on the business of providing telecommunications 
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systems and services, including, without limitation, electronic communications 
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systems and electronic communications services, fiber optics, satellite transmission 
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and reception systems, and other telecommunications systems and their value-added 
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services such as transmission of voice, data, facsimile, control signs, audio and 
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video, and all other telecommunications systems technologies as are at present 
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available or will be made available through technical advances or innovations in the 
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future and to construct, establish, install, maintain, lease, purchase, and operate the 
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corresponding transmitting and receiving stations, satellites, lines, systems, 
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networks, international gateways, local exchanges, and platforms as it may consider 
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necessary, convenient or reasonable. 
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SEC. 4. Manner of Operation of Stations or Facilities. - The stations or 
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facilities of the grantee shall be constructed and operated in a manner as will, at 
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most, result only in the minimum interference on the wavelengths or frequencies of 
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existing stations or other stations which may be established by law, without in any 
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way diminishing its own privilege to use its assigned wavelengths or frequencies 
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and the quality of transmission or reception thereon as should maximize rendition 
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of the grantee’s services and/or the availability thereof. 
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SEC. 5. Authority of the National Telecommunications Commission. – The 
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grantee shall secure from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) the 
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appropriate permits and licenses for the construction, installation and operation of 
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its telecommunications systems or facilities. In issuing said permits, the NTC shall 
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have the power to impose such conditions relative to construction, operation, 
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maintenance, or service level of the telecommunications system. The NTC shall 
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have the authority to regulate the construction and operation of its 
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telecommunications system. The grantee shall not use any frequency in the radio 
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spectrum without authorization from the NTC. 
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In case of any violation of the provisions of this franchise, the NTC shall have 
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the authority to revoke or suspend, after due process, the permits or licenses it issued 
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pursuant to the franchise. The assignment of frequencies to the franchise shall be 
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subject to review at regular intervals. The NTC shall have the authority to reallocate 
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redundant frequencies held by the franchise. The NTC may recommend to Congress 
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the revocation of the franchise for any violation of the provisions of this franchise. 
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SEC. 6. Responsibility to the Public. -  The grantee shall conform to the 
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ethics of honest enterprise and not use its stations or facilities for obscene or indecent 
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transmission, or for the dissemination of deliberately false information, or willful 
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misrepresentation, or assist in subversive or treasonable acts. 
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The grantee shall operate and maintain all its stations, lines, cables, systems, 
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and equipment for the transmission and reception of messages, signals, and pulses 
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in a satisfactory manner at all times and, as far as economical and practicable, 
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modify, improve, or change such stations, lines, cables, systems, and equipment to 
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keep abreast with the advances in science and technology. 
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The grantee shall improve and extend its services in areas not yet served, and 
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in hazard- and typhoon-prone areas that shall be determined by the National Disaster 
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Risk Reduction and Management Council in coordination with the NTC. 
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SEC. 7. Right of the Government. - The radio spectrum is a finite resource 
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that is part of the national patrimony and the use thereof is a privilege conferred 
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upon the grantee by the State and may be withdrawn any time after due process. As 
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such, the President of the Philippines, in times of war, rebellion, public peril, 
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calamity, emergency, disaster or disturbance of peace and order, has the right to 
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temporarily take over and operate the stations, transmitters, facilities, or equipment 
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of the grantee; to temporarily suspend the operation of any station, transmitter, 
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facility or equipment in the interests of public safety, security, and public welfare; 
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or to authorize the temporary use and operation thereof by any agency of the 
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government, upon due compensation to the grantee, for the use of said stations, 
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transmitters, facilities, or equipment during the period when these shall be so 
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operated. 
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SEC. 8. Term of Franchise. - The franchise shall be extended for a period 
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of twenty-five (25) years from the date of the effectivity of this Act, unless sooner 
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revoked or cancelled. This franchise shall be deemed ipso facto revoked in the event 
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the grantee fails to operate continuously for two (2) years. The grantee shall apply 
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for the renewal or extension of its franchise five (5) years before its expiration date 
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which shall be reckoned fifteen (15) days after the publication of the franchise in the 
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Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation, whichever comes earlier. 
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SEC. 9. Warranty in favor of the Government. - The grantee shall hold the 
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national, provincial, city, and municipal governments of the Philippines free from 
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all claims, liabilities, accounts, demands, or actions arising out of accidents, causing 
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injury to persons or damage to properties, during the construction or operation of 
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the stations, transmitters, facilities, or equipment of the grantee.  
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SEC. 10. Commitment to Provide and Promote the Creation of Employment 
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Opportunities. The grantee shall create employment opportunities and shall allow 
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on-the-job trainings in their franchise operations: Provided, That priority shall be 
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accorded to the residents in the area where their principal office is 
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located: Provided, further, That the grantee shall ensure that at least sixty percent 
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(60%) of its employees are regular employees and in no case shall the percentage of 
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contractual employees, job orders, casuals, and independent contractors combined, 
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exceed forty percent (40%) of its total workforce: Provided, finally, That the grantee 
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shall comply with the applicable labor standards and allowance entitlement under 
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existing labor laws, rules and regulations, and similar issuances. 
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The employment opportunities or jobs created shall be reflected in the 
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General Information Sheet (GIS) to be submitted to the Securities and Exchange 
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Commission (SEC) annually, in addition, the grantee shall include in its annual 
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report to Congress the number of trainees and workers whose employment status are 
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made regular, and append the appropriate certificate from the Department of Labor 
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and Employment attesting that it has complied with the employment requirement 
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under this section. 
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SEC. 11. Business Development and/or Expansion Plan. - Except where 
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prevented by force majeure, the grantee shall be obliged to carry out its business 
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development and/or expansion plan which shall contain, among others, the phases 
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of business development or expansion, courses of action to achieve the objectives 
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of the franchise, capitalization, and expected milestones within the franchise term. 
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SEC. 12. Reportorial Requirement. - The grantee shall submit an annual 
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report to the Congress of the Philippines, through the Committee on Legislative 
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Franchises of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Public Services 
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of the Senate, on its compliance with the terms and conditions of the franchise and 
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on its operations.  
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The annual report shall include an update on the roll-out, development, 
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operation and/or expansion of business; audited financial statements as certified by 
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the SEC; certification of the NTC on the status of its permits and operations; and an 
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update on the dispersal of ownership undertaking.  
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The reportorial compliance certificate issued by Congress shall be required 
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before any application for permit or certificate is accepted by the NTC. 
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SEC. 13. Equality Clause. - Any advantage, favor, privilege, exemption, or 
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immunity granted under other existing franchises, or which may hereafter be 
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granted, upon prior review and approval of Congress, shall become part of this 
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franchise and shall be accorded immediately and unconditionally to the herein 
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grantee: Provided, That the foregoing shall neither apply to nor affect provisions of 
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telecommunications franchises concerning the territory, life span, or type of service 
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authorized by the franchise. 
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SEC. 14. Separability Clause. - If any of the sections or provisions of this 
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Act is held invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid.  
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SEC. 15. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, orders, issuances, rules and 
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regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended 
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or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 16. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.    
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Approved, 
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