Group urges public to drop telco tower fears

CitizenWatch Philippines is calling on the public to set aside misplaced fears surrounding the installation of telco towers near schools, urging a science-based understanding of the issue and highlighting the urgent need to expand digital access in education.

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The group made the statement in response to growing concerns from some communities and school stakeholders about supposed health risks from radiation emitted by cell towers. These fears, according to CitizenWatch, are not supported by science and may actually delay much-needed infrastructure that would help students and teachers in underserved areas gain access to reliable internet connectivity.

“Let’s base our decisions on science, not speculation,” said Orlando Oxales, lead convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines. “Decades of global research show that the radio signals coming from cell towers-even those near schools—are hundreds to thousands of times below levels that could harm people.”