Globe activates 3 cell sites in Siargao

GLOBE Telecom Inc. has activated three cell sites in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, a booming tourist destination in Mindanao.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ayala- led telco said it deployed cell towers in the municipalities of General Luna, Pilar, and Dapa, allowing foreign and domestic travelers to experience better connectivity on the island.

Ernest Cu, Globe president and chief executive officer, said that despite experiencing red tape while securing at least 25 permits to build a single tower, Siargao was worth investing in amid its popularity among tourists.

“The topography of Siargao is quite challenging a large area, quite hilly, and the population is spread out so its very expensive to put up a cell site in Siargao. However, we also know its potential given the beauty of the place and its commitment to sustainable tourism,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

“With these three new cell sites, we bring data services to the island so that tourists can share their Siargao experience to the rest of the world. We are laying down fiber so that businesses can have better Internet connection to aid them in the digitalization of their operations. Since Siargao lacks banks, we enable financial transactions through the mobile phone using GCash. This is just the start, there are more coming up,” Cu added.

Siargao was one of locations that benefited from the six-month closure of Boracay Island, the Department of Tourism (DoT) earlier said.

DoT Caraga Region Director Ma. Ana Nuguid said in January, tourism arrivals in Siargao surged by 50.7 percent to 195,562 local and foreign travelers last year.

On Monday, Globe was also tapped by the local government unit of San Juan City to provide free Internet access. It is also set to build 11 additional cell sites and deploy fiber optic cables to enhance connectivity in the area.

Shares in Globe fell P35 or 1.91 percent to finish at P1,793 apiece on Wednesday.