PLDT Says Teamwork with LGUs Leads to Fewer Cable Theft Incidents

Cable theft has long been a headache for telecom companies and customers alike, but PLDT says things are finally improving this year.

The telco shared that incidents involving stolen cables and network equipment went down across most of 2025. According to PLDT and its mobile arm Smart, the improvement is largely due to closer coordination with local governments, police, and even ordinary residents in different communities.

A big part of this effort comes from their asset protection program called Bayanihan. The initiative focuses on working directly with barangay officials and local leaders to help protect telecom infrastructure. Throughout the year, PLDT-Smart held coordination meetings in several areas including Makati, Quezon City, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, Pasay, Dagupan, Calamba, and parts of Cavite and Rizal.

Company officials said involving communities has made a real impact. When residents and barangays help keep an eye on equipment and quickly report suspicious activity, response times improve and major service disruptions are avoided. This shared responsibility helps ensure internet and mobile services stay stable, especially in busy urban areas.

The improvement is noticeable compared to last year. In 2024, PLDT-Smart recorded close to 1,000 loss incidents, mostly involving copper cables. Some parts of Manila even experienced theft cases every few days. Since strengthening its security approach, the company recorded a 34 percent drop in theft-related incidents and a 24 percent decline in the number of suspects caught from January to November 2025 versus the same period last year.

PLDT said these results show that prevention works best when companies and communities work together. Beyond protecting assets, the goal is to keep digital services reliable for millions of Filipinos who depend on constant connectivity for work, school, and daily life.

(via PLDT)