Section 5Sec./Art. 5

Responsibility to the Public.- The grantee shall supply telephone service in any municipality in the Philippines where it has established a local telephone exchange to any applicant therefor; and as between such applicant and other like applicants, in the order of the date of their applications up to the limit of the capacity of its telephone exchange as determined by the National Telecommunications Commission in any application made by the grantee for the construction of the relevant telecommunications systems, and should the demand for the telephone service at any time increase beyond the capacity of its local telephone exchange to supply the same, the capacity of said telephone exchange shall be increased by the grantee to meet such demand, in accordance with the decision of the Commission: Provided, That, in case the point at which the telephone service to be supplied is more than fifty meters (50) from the local exchange operated by the grantee, the latter shall not be obliged to furnish said service, unless the applicant for the telephone service defrays the actual expenses for the installation of the telecommunications apparatus necessary for such service and in such cases the National Telecommunications Commission may extend the time within which the grantee shall furnish such service.

For the purpose of installing, operating and maintaining its telecommunications lines, it shall be lawful for the grantee to make excavations or lay conduits in any of the public places, highways, streets, lanes, alleys, avenues, sidewalks, and bridges of said municipalities, forest reserves and other similar property of the Government of the Philippines or any of its branches or instrumentalities: Provided, however, That any public place, highway, street, lane, alley, avenue, sidewalk or bridge disturbed, altered, or changed by reason of the installation, operation and maintenance of said telecommunications lines underground shall be repaired and replaced in a workmanlike manner by the said grantee to the satisfaction of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Should the grantee, its successors or assigns, after the lapse of thirty (30) days from receipt of notice from the proper authority, fail, refuse, or neglect to repair or replace any part of a public place, road, highway, street, lane, alley, avenue, sidewalk or bridge altered, changed, or disturbed by said grantee, then the Department of Public Works and Highways shall have the right to have the same repaired and placed in good order and condition at the cost and expense of the grantee.

The grantee shall operate and maintain all its stations, lines, cables, systems and equipment for the transmission and reception of messages, signals and pulses in a satisfactory manner at all times and whenever required by the National Telecommunications Commission in the interest of the public good and as far as practicable modify, improve or change such stations, lines, cables, systems, and equipment to keep abreast with the advances in science and technology.