PLDT says subsea cables need whole-of-nation protection

PLDT Group urged closer government-industry collaboration to keep the country’s undersea cable network resilient.

Courtesy: PLDT

PLDT pushes for stronger subsea cable protection

PLDT Group has called for deeper government-industry collaboration to strengthen the resilience of the Philippines' subsea cable network.

PLDT Global President and CEO Albert V. Villa-Real represented the group at the Archipelagic Governance for Subsea Cables Forum, where he noted that subsea cables are more than telecom assets.

They are national infrastructure. They carry the connections that enable our businesses to operate, our banks to transact, our government to deliver services, and our families to communicate, he said, adding that they increasingly support cloud, data centers, artificial intelligence and digital services.

For an archipelagic country whose connectivity depends heavily on undersea infrastructure, Villa-Real said resilience must become a national priority. He also noted the need for closer collaboration to streamline cable deployment and repairs, strengthen information sharing and institutionalize incident response protocols.

Villa-Real said the Philippines has the potential to become a major digital gateway in the region.

“The Philippines should not think of itself simply as the end point of international cables. Our ambition should be to become a major digital crossroads of the Asia-Pacific,” he said.

Achieving that will require the convergence of resilient international and domestic connectivity infrastructure, data centers, cloud ecosystems, reliable power systems, and an enabling policy environment that encourages continued investment, he added.

PLDT First Vice President for Network Design and Engineering Arvin L. Siena joined a panel on "The Role of a Resilient Subsea Cable System for Philippine Development." He said that while telcos continue to invest in more cable systems, route diversity and redundancy, restoring damaged infrastructure quickly is equally important.

Submarine cables remain vulnerable to natural disasters, earthquakes, fishing activities, ship anchors, and other maritime incidents. Repairs require specialized cable vessels, many of which must secure multiple permits and clearances before entering Philippine waters.

Siena acknowledged the importance of national security, maritime protection and regulatory compliance, but cautioned that extended approval processes can delay the restoration of essential connectivity.

He called for a clear, predictable and streamlined approval process for emergency cable repairs, backed by stronger coordination among government agencies and operators.

Siena also proposed declaring submarine and terrestrial cable routes as critical digital corridors, to strengthen public awareness, encourage infrastructure protection and minimize preventable damage caused by human activities.

National security and the rapid restoration of connectivity are not competing objectives. We need both security and speed, he said.

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