TELECOM | PLDT initiatives span disaster relief, digital safety, infrastructure protection
Philippine telecom giant PLDT Inc. reported a series of community-linked initiatives in late 2025, covering disaster relief support, digital safety education for students and efforts to curb cable theft that disrupts telecommunications services.
Disaster relief support through private donation
A PLDT Home subscriber and his family donated their P100,000 cash prize from the company’s One Mega Giveaway promo to relief operations supporting communities affected by Typhoon Uwan.
Marlowe Monsanto said the family decided to turn over the prize to the PLDT-Smart Foundation after learning about ongoing recovery efforts in typhoon-hit areas. The foundation said the funds will be used for relief packs and logistics support for affected families.
PSF President Esther O. Santos said the donation would support relief distribution and holiday assistance activities for displaced communities, noting that private donations help supplement relief operations alongside government-led disaster response.
The One Mega Giveaway is a customer rewards program tied to PLDT Home subscriptions. In this case, the cash prize was redirected by the winner to a third-party foundation for disaster relief.
Digital safety lessons for young learners in Cagayan de Oro
Separately, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications Inc., together with Teach for the Philippines, conducted a digital safety awareness activity for students at Taguanao Elementary School in Cagayan de Oro City.
The activity featured an interactive storytelling session using Ang Paglalakbay ni Tala (The Adventures of Tala), a storybook developed by the PLDT Group with partner organizations. The material introduces basic concepts on online rights and potential digital risks through a fictional narrative aimed at young readers.
Copies of the book were donated to the school for classroom use, which teachers said could support lessons on responsible internet use as students encounter digital platforms at increasingly younger ages.
In addition to the digital safety session, PLDT and Smart distributed #PlantSmart kits containing vegetable seeds, organic fertilizer and loam soil to support the school’s “Gulayan sa Paaralan” program. School officials said the kits could help supplement feeding activities and encourage home gardening among families.
Cable theft incidents decline amid barangay coordination
On the infrastructure front, PLDT reported a decline in cable theft incidents in the first 11 months of 2025 following expanded coordination with barangays, local government units and law enforcement agencies.
Through its Asset Protection and Security Risk Governance Group, the company increased the rollout of barangay-based asset protection activities under the Bayanihan program in several cities, including Makati, Quezon City, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos.
Company data showed apprehension incidents dropped 34 percent from January to November 2025 compared with the same period last year, while the number of apprehended suspects declined 24 percent.
PLDT said cable theft and vandalism can lead to repeated service disruptions, customer complaints and higher repair costs. In 2024, the company recorded nearly 1,000 theft-related incidents nationwide, most involving copper cables.
The company said the barangay-based initiative aims to improve monitoring and reporting at the community level, as part of broader efforts to reduce infrastructure-related disruptions and maintain service reliability.
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