This page provides you with the latest statistics available at NEDA Region VIII on Telecommunications and Communications. Data were gathered from the national line agencies and private companies serving the region's needs in telecommunication and communication. A comparison of figures between CY 2001 and CY 2002 is presented as well as a simple analysis of these figures.
Telegraph Stations (Gov't. & Private)
Telegraph Density (people per station)
TELOF Telephone Services (Digital & Analog)
Number of Public Calling Offices (PCOs)
Number of Installed Telephone Lines
Number of subscribed Telephone Lines
Telephone Density
Number of Rural Telephone Exchanges
Number of Local Exchange Carriers
Number of Payphones
Number of Cellular Phone Operators
Number of CATV Subscribers
Number of CATV Operators
Number of Internet Providers
Number of Internet Cafe
Number of Regular Post Office Stations
153
1:4000
8
321
125,646
57,694
3.3
28
52
121
3
27,137
71
12
32
175
153
1:4000
8
338
183,171
43,336
4.7
28
54
135
4
30,741
84
14
46
175
0
0
0
5.3
45.8
24.8
42.4
0
3.8
11.6
33.3
13.3
18.3
16.7
43.8
0
Analysis
Bayan Tel, Isla Communications, DOTC-TELOF, Ormoc Telephone Company, Calbayog Telephone System, PLDT and PT&T provided telephone service operations in 2002. These companies have installed a combined total of 183,171 telephone lines. Of these lines, about 24 percent was subscribed in 2002. This means a decline over the 2001 subscribed lines which was 46.6%. The decline was due to the installation of 12 additional cell sites in various parts of the region which resulted in the shift of subscribers from land line to cellular lines. In fact, the ability of nearby municipalities to receive cellular signal resulted to the closure of some public calling offices. The cellular mobile phone system was so popular due to its ready availability, introduction of added features and promotions extended to customers.
The region's telephone density improved from a density of 3.3 working telephone lines per 100 persons in 2001 to 4.7 working telephone lines per 100 persons in 2002. National telephone density target is 12.7 in 2004.
The bulk of telephone lines installed and subscribed were concentrated in the Province of Leyte which is about 64.0 percent, while 36.0 percent was distributed over the rest of the provinces.
Cellular mobile phone providers, SMART and GLOBE, served the cities of Tacloban, Ormoc, Calbayog, Maasin, provincial capital towns and strategic areas in the region. SMART payphones were established in the four cities and other strategic areas of the region. SMART Telecenter and Globelines have been established in Tacloban City.
Government and private telephone companies installed an additional 17 Public Calling Offices (PCOs) and 14 payphones during the year bringing the total to 338 PCOs and 135 Payphones in 2002. Additional circuits were also installed for long distance services to PLDT relay stations and to meet the demand of cellular mobiles phones and internet café's.
Internet service providers were still concentrated in the cities of Tacloban, Ormoc, Maasin and the towns of Palo and Catbalogan.
Telecommunications Office (TELOF) implemented three major programs and projects to upgrade the telecommunication services. These included the a) Establishment of NTP1-2 Exchange into Internet Ready Exchanges is Ormoc City, Catbalogan, Borongan and Catarman; b) Establishment of Telecenters for Ormoc, Maasin City and the Leyte State University; c) Expansion of Datacom Network for Maasin City, Guiuan and Catarman.
Bayan Tel and ISLACOM provided added features on landline telephone services.
Telegraph facilities were upgraded while postal communication services have established 5 postal extension counters and have expanded the acceptance of International Express Mails (IEMS) to 36 postal office in the region.