By GINA DIZON

SAGADA, Mountain Province — Following the loss of communications signal of a major telecom company last Thursday  June 14, representatives of Smart telecom arrived here to meet with the  land owners  and barangay officials  of the area where their cell site is located,  to hear their demand for increased rental among others. 

In  their negotiations held at the municipal  hall,  barangay officials  led by barangay Balugan chairman  John Polon put forward a proposal for an increased rental from  P40,000  a year to P50,000 a month while land owner  Bernard Batnag asked to increase rent from P50,000 a year  to P100,000 a month.

Security Manager Ariel Emock who spoke for Smart said it would be difficult to lay basis for an increase of rentals but he will recommend the proposed rates from  both the  barangay officials  and the land claimant.

Polon and Batnag said the company has been adding disk plates and other antenna without the community people’s consent. They said added antenna and disc plates apparently connected to other cell signals lay one basis for increased rental aside from wide and increased reach of air time users.    

In a separate interview, former  barangay captain John Yogawen and other former officials said the company took advantage of the  ignorance of the people on cell site rentals.

Batnag feels the same way. He said his father having  agreed on a  P50,000 rent a year  was low, compared to other rentals of cell sites. His father’s 15 year contract of lease with Smart ended May 2012. Not having arrived at  an agreement the negotiations was moved to July 11 this year.  

Smart pays real property tax  to the LGU here and was  given a copy of  the aerial wealth ordinance by the Sangguniang Bayan for their information and compliance, said vice mayor Richard Yodong .  

Smart negotiations began in 1996 with the community of  Balugan and the land claimant which led to the building of the cell site  tower  in 1998 atop Mt Pakad 1900 meters above  sea level. The tower overlooks  the municipalities of  Mountain Province including Tadian, Bauko, Sabangan, Sagada, Besao and the fringes between Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Quirino, Abra, and Apayao. 

Initial rent was pegged at P8,000 a year  which  increased to P12,000 a year over a  25 year contract. Apart from the yearly rent, Smart promised the following benefits to the community: communication center in Balugan: scholarships, medical mission, and employment. The promised benefits has not been given except employment of two security guards at the tower site.

With the nod of elders, the telecommunications tower was eventually erected in 1998 and activated in 2001. It was also during this time that payment for  two years which had not been  paid from 1998 to year 2000 was paid. 

In  year 2001, the community wanted the rent to increase to P100,000 a year. Lawyer Anthony Fernandez representing  SMART, negotiated with the people resulting to the increase of  rent from P20,000 to P40,000 per year with an escalation rate of 10% every year.

The earlier Agreement was revised and eventually signed by  barangay officials in 2001. John Yogawen said the written Agreement was brought to the head office for their signatures. He said Smart officers  promised to return the copy of the MOA to the people but was never returned till now. # nordis.net