Globe steps up protection of Filipinos online

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. is taking on a bigger role in ensuring that Filipinos online are protected, with the Ayala-led telco giant assuming chairmanship of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) Philippine chapter.

The alliance brings together stakeholders from telcos, banks, tech platforms, regulators and civil society to share fraud intelligence, disrupt scams and strengthen national coordination against cyber threats.

“As chair, Globe is committed to ensuring the chapter focuses on practical, people-first initiatives,” GASA PH co-chair and Globe AI and privacy governance senior director Derick Adil said.

Adil said that the group’s vision is to empower and secure every Filipino against the changing landscape of digital fraud and scams.

“We’re focused on education, real-world guidance, and actionable intelligence and partnerships for consumers and enterprises, delivered in collaboration with public and private partners who can disrupt the scam ecosystem,” he said.

GASA research showed that online scams are now among the most reported crimes globally.

It revealed that 63 percent of adults in Southeast Asia say they encountered a scam in the past year, while 22 percent lost money.

In the Philippines, the share of lost money reaches about 31 percent.

“Scammers prey on emotion and speed. The answer is community and coordination. The Philippine Chapter connects banks, telcos, platforms and public agencies so we can share intelligence quickly and give people practical protection that works,” GASA Southeast Asia advisor Rajeshpal Singh said.

Globe said its cohesive and sustained efforts to fight scams and online threats make it well-positioned to lead the GASA Philippine Chapter.

The company brings together strong network defenses, public awareness and close coordination with government and key multi-sectoral local and international partners.

In the first half of 2025, Globe said it had blocked more than 484 million scam and spam messages.

It also continues to educate high-risk groups through sustained on-ground programs, which are complemented by regular scam alerts across mainstream and digital platforms aimed at protecting Filipinos in an increasingly connected world.

Members of the alliance will leverage GASA’s partnership with the Global Signal Exchange to share verified scam signals, such as malicious domains and accounts, so that local teams can act faster.

“Filipinos deserve a digital space they can trust. Chairing the GASA Philippine Chapter allows us to bring the right people to the table, share fraud intelligence and act with urgency,” Globe chief privacy officer and vice president for the policy office of the artificial intelligence group and the information security and data privacy group Irish Salandanan-Almeida said.

“Our goal is simple: prevent fraud, stop scams and make recovery easier for victims,” she said.