Globe is calling for a National Utility Resiliency Plan that treats telecom restoration as a top priority alongside power and other essential services during disasters. The proposal was raised at a recent GSMA forum in New Delhi, seeking unified protocols for government, LGUs, utilities, and telecom operators to restore critical services faster when crises strike.
“When disaster strikes, connectivity is a lifeline — to reach family, get updates, call for help, and coordinate relief,” said Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo. Right now, repairs are often delayed by impassable roads, limited transport, and red tape — hurdles no telecom company can solve alone. The plan would grant restoration teams priority access to government logistics, police and military support, and streamlined emergency permits to cut through those delays.
For ordinary Filipinos, this means getting back online sooner after storms or earthquakes — less time cut off from loved ones and emergency assistance. Globe noted that telecoms depend on power, fuel, and access to work, so true recovery requires all essential services moving in sync. “Resilience must be planned as one national system, not utility by utility,” Castelo explained.
Globe continues investing heavily in stronger networks — ₱26.3 billion in capital spending in H1 2026, 91% for data infrastructure — and now uses Starlink satellite backup, deployed most recently during the June 2026 Mindanao quake to restore service in General Santos and Sarangani. Still, Globe says long-term resilience needs government support and incentives, since building stronger, redundant infrastructure comes with significant costs.
