Globe has teamed up with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the local government of Cagayan de Oro City to help avoid fiber cuts caused by roadworks in Northern Mindanao.
The effort is part of an inter-agency task force led by Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando Uy. The group aims to coordinate with city officials, the NTC, and the DPWH so that fiber cables remain intact during digging and other road-related activities.
From January to December 2024, there were 54 fiber cut incidents reported in Cagayan de Oro, the highest number in the region. These fiber cuts were mostly caused by roadwork activities that hit underground cables.
Unintentional but disruptive fiber cuts
“These incidents cause disruptions that affect households and businesses. And with many government and commercial transactions and processes now online, fiber cuts also impact the delivery of public services and take a toll on the local economy,” said Uy.
NTC Region 10 is part of the task force, which was created to improve communication and coordination among involved agencies and avoid future disruptions.
“These unintentional yet highly disruptive fiber cuts are easily preventable through a simple solution: talking to each other,” said Teodoro Buenavista Jr., regional director at NTC Region 10. “This task force has proven to be an effective platform to facilitate quick coordination among its members so that diggings and road repairs won’t end up damaging fiber cables.”
Working together to prevent downtime
The DPWH has also pledged to support the group’s goals by guiding its district engineers to consider fiber locations during construction.
From January to March 2025, 14 new fiber cut cases were already reported in the city. The task force continues to work together to lower that number and avoid future incidents.
“With connectivity now a basic necessity, we must work together towards preventing downtimes caused by factors outside the scope of telco providers,” said Joel Agustin, head of Service Planning and Engineering at Globe.