MTPO chief asks gov't to reconsider scrapping of phone lineproject

The government was urged yesterday to reconsider its decision to scrap the P53-billion program to install telephone lines in the country's barangays.

Transportation and Communications Undersec-retary Willie Evangelista, head of the Municipal Telephone Project Office (MTPO) created to oversee implementation of the program, said the decision to indefinitely put off the program came all too suddenly.

Evangelista hinted that he was not even consulted by the Economic Coordinating Council (ECC) which recommended the cancellation of the program to President Estrada.

"We feel sad. We worked so hard to make the project become a reality," Evangelista told