The activation was led by Willie Antalan, head of PLDT’s Asset Protection Division (APD) for Greater Metro Manila South (GMMS), in collaboration with Bangkal Barangay Captain Virgilio Hilario III and barangay officials.

“We at PLDT believe that protecting our network infrastructure is a shared responsibility,” Antalan said. “Through this program, we aim to arm our barangays with the knowledge and tools necessary to keep our communities connected by helping secure vital telco assets in their area, as well as assisting each other in bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes such as theft and vandalism of telco equipment.”

He emphasized how local vigilance plays a key role in ensuring the reliability and resilience of telco services.

This initiative is part of PLDT’s broader response to persistent theft and vandalism targeting its network.

In 2024 alone, nearly 1,000 loss incidents were recorded — mostly involving copper cables, which made up 91 percent of the total cost of material losses.