The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has acquired 20 portable SpaceX Starlink satellite communication kits which were donated by a private company. 

The Starlink satellite communication system was developed by American company Space Exploration Technologies Corp. or SpaceX which was founded by tech entrepreneur and business magnate Elon Musk.

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and OCD Administrator Undersec. Ariel Nepomuceno personally received the donations from the Diversified Financial Network Inc. (DFNN, Inc.) led by its chairman, Mr. Ramon Garcia, in a ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday, August 14.

A demonstration of the equipment capability was done by the joint team of OCD’s Information and Communications Technology Division and the DFNN Inc.’s technical staff during the turnover ceremony.

Nepomuceno highlighted the importance of a reliable and resilient communication system as a critical component of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations, stressing that Starlink offers such capability to enhance the emergency communications system of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The OCD, the implementing arm and secretariat of the NDRRMC, provides emergency communications support to communities during disasters or emergencies such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions among others.

Nepomuceno noted that the Starlink kits are low maintenance devices with low operational cost, easily deployable even in rural and remote areas due to their mobility and portability design, and can be operated by a single person.

He said the Starlink kits can also deliver high-speed internet to support virtual conferences, and video calls among others.

“We welcome this donation as another boost in our effort to strengthen the communications capability of OCD, our counterpart DRRM councils and local governments using redundant communication systems across the archipelago,” Nepomuceno said.

Meanwhile, Teodoro said the donations will help realize President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s push for a vigorous effort to make the country’s disaster response system a more robust component of the national DRRM endeavor by ensuring a speedy, appropriate, and adequate response in times of emergency. 

“We thank Mr. Garcia and our friends from DFNN for this generous gesture of solidarity to our cause to strengthen our ability to prepare and respond to disasters,” Teodoro said.

For his part, DFNN Chairman Garcia reiterated the organization’s commitment to support the continuous strengthening of the Philippines’ disaster management system.

“By providing Starlink connectivity to critical government functions, particularly in disaster risk reduction, we are taking a step toward the future where communication is never compromised, even in the face of nature's most challenging moments,” he said.

DFNN, Inc. was established in 1999 and is a publicly listed company on the Philippine Stock Exchange operating as an information technology (IT) solutions provider and systems integrator.