The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is monitoring telecommunications and internet connectivity in areas affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Sarangani, as several parts of Mindanao reported service interruptions.
Based on initial reports, the DICT said Globe services remained fully operational, while Smart continued normal operations despite localized weak signal reports in General Santos City. Smart’s emergency cell broadcast alerts were also successfully transmitted.
DITO reported 54 offline sites in parts of Mindanao, mainly due to cable cuts and power interruptions, while maintaining a 95.83 percent service availability rate. Converge reported no backbone or access downtime, although some facilities were operating on backup power due to precautionary utility shutdowns.
The DICT said power and internet interruptions were reported in General Santos City, South Cotabato, and Koronadal City. Meanwhile, Marawi City, Sultan Kudarat, and parts of North Cotabato remained stable.
In coordination with the Office of Civil Defense, the DICT is facilitating the immediate deployment of three Starlink units to General Santos City and other priority areas in Sarangani Province to support emergency communications.
The agency said it will continue real-time monitoring and coordination with regional disaster risk reduction and management offices and telecommunications partners to restore connectivity and support ongoing response operations.