Sarangani: The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has partnered with two of the country's telecommunications companies to provide emergency internet and communications to Sarangani province and other quake-hit areas.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DICT, through its Region 12 (Soccsksargen) office, reported the deployment of Starlink kits, charging stations, and free internet under the Government Emergency and Communications System (GECS) and Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP) to several areas in Sarangani. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to ensure quick coordination and continuous communication during crises, as ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Free internet access has been made available in specific locations within Sarangani Province, including the Glan Municipal Plaza, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in Alabel, and the evacuation center in Maasim. Other areas benefiting from free internet include the Incident Management Team (IMT) City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) in General Santos City, the IMT PDRRMO in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Office 12 in General Santos City, and Balut Island.
Globe Telecom has also contributed by deploying its satellite-to-mobile service to provide free data and messaging to customers in South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani through a partnership with Starlink. This marks Globe's first use of Starlink's satellite-to-mobile technology for disaster and emergency response in the Philippines.
Additionally, PLDT and Smart have provided connectivity support to the General Santos City command center to ensure responders have access to communication for coordination, emergency response, and recovery operations amid widespread commercial power outages. The PLDT Sales and Service Center in General Santos City is offering free WiFi, device charging, and national direct dial (NDD) calls to the public. PLDT and Smart are also collaborating with local authorities to deploy additional communications support to critical sites and areas requiring connectivity assistance.
