PLDT, Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have partnered with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to safeguard technology and telecommunications infrastructure across the country.

The three are spearheading the broadest ever public-private collaboration called PROTECTA Pilipinas, or Protect Technology-Telecom Alliance, to help ensure that Filipinos have unhampered access to much-needed connectivity.

“PLDT - Smart and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) led the formation of PROTECTA Pilipinas alliance,” said Atty. Roy Ibay, Convenor of Protecta Pilipinas, Vice President and Head of Regulatory at Smart and Private sector board representative to the CICC.

He said this is “for the mutual protection of tech and telco infrastructure, to help ensure that connectivity services will always be available to our countrymen, given their critical role in emergency response, national security, economic growth and daily life.”

Also joining PROTECTA Pilipinas are the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunition Operators, advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines, public policy think-tank Infrawatch PH, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), Federation of International Cable TV Association of the Philippines (FICTAP), and Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

The group recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the CICC office in Taguig City while the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) acted as witness to the signing.

“We are grateful to all the signatories to this MOU for agreeing to form the alliance and for their support in our broader goal of ensuring the unhampered delivery of connectivity and safeguarding technology and telecommunication assets since they are considered critical infrastructure for nation-building,” Atty Ibay added.

“This endeavor is proof that the government cares for the industry. These efforts will ensure that our critical infrastructure for communications are given proper attention in terms of security and integrity. I thank the industry for trusting the government that we can work together in ensuring continued service for everyone,” said CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos.

PROTECTA Pilipinas lists as its objectives the need to promote resilience, or to identify and advocate for measures that enhance the resilience of telecom networks, including redundancy, disaster recovery plans, and cybersecurity protocols to prevent disruptions.

The alliance also proposes to collaborate closely with government bodies responsible for telecom regulation and infrastructure management, including initiatives on policies, regulations, and enforcement mechanisms to protect telecom assets; and with telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, and service providers to encourage best practices, information sharing, and joint efforts to secure infrastructure.

Specific to physical infrastructure, PROTECTA Pilipinas also hopes to establish monitoring systems to track the health and performance of telecom facilities, as regular assessments can identify vulnerabilities, maintenance needs, and potential risks.

The alliance also aims to encourage timely reporting mechanisms for suspicious activities or threats to telecom infrastructure, to ensure swift action by relevant authorities.

On the policy side, PROTECTA Pilipinas looks to advocate for legal frameworks that explicitly protect telecom infrastructure from vandalism, theft, and sabotage, including penalties for offenders.