The National Telecommunication Security Council (NTSC) said it is looking at expanding its membership to include law enforcement agencies to protect telecommunications infrastructure against growing threats of cyberattacks and physical security breaches.
The NTSC, an industry-wide alliance representing the country’s major telecommunications companies, is evolving into a full-fledged national defense body, uniting telcos and state forces in a historic security push.
Its members are PLDT Inc., Smart Communications, Inc., Globe Telecom, DITO Telecommunity, Converge ICT Solutions, ABS-CBN/Sky Cable, tower companies and other stakeholders.
In a statement on Wednesday, the council said it wanted to include agencies such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
“The task before us is not just technical—it is strategic and national in scope. We need to move from isolated reactions to coordinated responses, from reactive risk management to proactive intelligence-sharing and policy alignment,” Anastacio Martirez, Smart chief operating officer, said.
In addition to the expansion of the council’s membership, Col. Wilfredo F. Gonio, PLDT head of security central command and administration center, said, “We, at the NTSC, are also eyeing the development of a coordination framework for threat response with our partners in government, as well as establishing regular consultation schedules for improved information sharing, enhanced security measures for critical infrastructure, and better rapid response protocols, especially in the event of emergencies.”
The NTSC was spearheaded by the PLDT Asset Protection and Security Risk Governance (APSRG) team in June 2021 for the mutual protection of telco infrastructure nationwide. PLDT and Smart’s stepped-up asset protection initiatives support PLDT’s mission to deliver reliable service and advance the Philippines’ sustainable development by securing critical telecom infrastructure, and thereby ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for homes, businesses, education, and emergency response.
The NTSC said these efforts align with the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, promoting resilient infrastructure and technological progress through strategic security measures and strong community partnerships.
