Globe has observed a significant decline in blocked spam SMS messages in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, revealing a noticeable shift of illegal activities to other channels as scammers adapt to circumvent anti-fraud measures.
In the second quarter of 2024, Globe intercepted a total of 235,998,731 spam SMS messages, a substantial drop from the 1,104,502,921 messages blocked in the same quarter of 2023. This is a substantial 79% year-on-year (YOY) decline.
So far blocked spam SMS messages in 2024 have been declining, with a 35% decrease from 362,773,894 messages blocked in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the year’s second quarter.

Further supporting this trend, the number of deactivated SIMs reported via Globe’s #StopScam portal from April to June 2024 fell to 504 from 4,054 in the same period the previous year, marking an 88% decrease YoY.

Between the first and second quarters of 2024, the drop was 40%, with the first three months of 2024 recording 841 deactivated numbers. Deactivated numbers include SIMs within the Globe network.

Meanwhile, the total blacklisted numbers from competitor networks are also declining albeit still substantial from 31,078 in the second quarter of 2023 to 11,026 in the second quarter of 2024, indicating a 65% reduction YoY, and a 70% decrease from this year’s first quarter total of 36,549.

“We have observed a consistent decline in spam SMS– those that pass through the cellular network– as we continue to implement stringent filtering systems, including blocking person-to-person SMS with links,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe’s Chief Information Security Officer and Chief AI Officer.

“We reiterate our advise to our customers to remain vigilant and never engage with any unsolicited message they receive, whether via SMS or chat apps, particularly those with dubious offers,” he added.

Changing scam tactics

While these figures demonstrate the effectiveness of Globe’s current spam filtering systems, they also highlight a change in scam tactics that evade cellular networks.
Currently, there is an increasing threat posed by spoofed SMS, a method that bypasses telecom networks’ spam filters, making detection and prevention particularly challenging.

Spoofing is a technique in which unscrupulous persons or groups impersonate SMS channels to lure unsuspecting victims into sharing personal information or clicking on malicious links, potentially leading to financial losses or compromised data security.
Spoofed SMS uses International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers or fake cell towers. These devices simulate cell towers to intercept mobile communications within a certain radius, compelling phones to connect and receive spoofed SMS messages directly.

These messages do not pass through the cellular network, hence evading telco filters.
Fraudsters are also shifting to over the top media services or chatapps, Rich Communication Services (RCS) chats for Android users, and other Internet-based messaging platforms to send messages to target users even while using foreign numbers or email addresses. These messages also do not pass through the cellular network.

“As we tighten our defenses against spam SMS, we are also aware that scammers are continuously evolving their methods. Globe is committed to staying ahead of these threats by enhancing our security protocols across all channels. Our goal is to protect our customers from fraud, ensuring their trust in our services remains unshaken,” said Bonifacio.

The company is stepping up its efforts to combat fraud by deploying advanced network probes to detect and neutralize IMSI catchers and fake base stations. It also continues to proactively block SMS with links.

To further bolster its cybersecurity framework, Globe continues to invest in state-of-the-art technologies and strategic partnerships, ensuring robust protection for its customers against emerging threats.

As part of its ongoing commitment to customer security, Globe urges its users to report any suspicious messages or activities to the #StopSpam portal. Globe also educates its customers on safe digital practices to further safeguard them from potential scams.(PR)

NAVAL, Biliran – With months of drought that affect the agriculture sector in the country, Biliran farmers were urged to organize to avail of irrigation system facilities from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

In a recent meeting with Nelson Sarsoza, irrigators’ development officer and team leader of NIA-Biliran, he informed that farmers only need to be enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and organize themselves into associations to qualify for free irrigation system and other assistance from NIA.

If the farmers are not yet organized but need to have an irrigation system in their farmland area, the barangay may send a letter request to their office and NIA will facilitate the organization of farmers, Sarsosa said.

Unlike before were farmers have to pay bags of palay to the organization for a fee, this time, NIA will provide subsidy to farmers particularly in the maintenance of the irrigation system, and their irrigated farmlands within the service area.

NIA-Biliran is currently handling a total of 38 irrigators’ associations in the municipalities of Almeria, Biliran, Cabucgayan, Caibiran, Culaba, Kawayan, and Naval, he added.

For interested farmer-applicants, visit NIA-Biliran located at the 2nd Floor of DAR Building at Sitio BLISS, Brgy. Calumpang, Naval, Biliran.
(MLT, PIA Biliran)

MANILA-Forty-eight new U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in Manila on July 8 to begin their two-year service to support local programs in education, youth development, and environmental protection in communities across the Philippines.

Starting in September, the Peace Corps Volunteers will be assigned to fulfill a range of roles requested by host communities in Aklan, Antique, Batangas, Benguet, Bohol, Capiz, Cebu, Iloilo, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Tarlac. These roles include co-teaching English in public elementary and secondary schools, serving as youth development facilitators in Philippine Department of Welfare and Social Development-accredited organizations and residential shelters, and supporting local governments in establishing marine protected areas and implementing coastal resource management plans.

“U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers come from all over the United States and represent the diversity of the American people. They come with a variety of skills and experience to contribute during their service in the Philippines,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said. “The Peace Corps’ goal is to promote world peace and friendship, and what better way to do this than to serve with cultural humility and mutual respect to our Filipino friends and partners.”

The 48 new Volunteers represent the 281st batch of U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers deployed to the Philippines, bringing the total number of American volunteers currently serving in the country to 126 and surpassing the number of Volunteers assigned to the Philippines prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) warmly welcomes this 281st batch of U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers,” PNVSCA Executive Director Donald James Gawe said as he expressed hope that the new American Volunteers will “continue to serve as builders of hope and catalysts of change.” “Together, let us sustain the spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding and create a sustainable future for the generations to come,” he added.

Before their local deployment, the Peace Corps Volunteers will undergo an intensive 11-week pre-service training that includes technical, language, and cultural studies to prepare them for their service. The newly arrived Volunteers, aged between 22 to 67, bring diverse experience, technical skills, and spirited enthusiasm to learn about the Philippines and work alongside community members on locally prioritized projects that build relationships, promote knowledge exchange, and make a lasting and measurable impact.

The Philippines is the second oldest U.S. Peace Corps program. More than 9,400 Americans have served alongside Filipino community members in support of government and community development priorities since 1961.(PR)

ORMOC CITY– A public school teacher, identified as the rank number 3 most wanted person in Southern Leyte, was arrested at about 1:52 pm July 10, in Barangay Poblacion District 2, Silago, Southern Leyte.

The accused, known by the alias “Leno,” 34, married, and a resident of Silago was apprehended by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by acting presiding judge Jacinto Blanco Elle of the Regional Trial Court, 8th Judicial Region, Branch 26, San Juan, Southern Leyte.

The warrant, dated July 9, 2024, charges the accused with five counts of acts of lasciviousness and sexual assault.

The recommended bail is P900,000 for the five counts of acts of lasciviousness and P200,000 for sexual assault.

The accused is currently under the custody of Silago Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition before being returned to the court that issued the warrant of arrest.
(ROBERT DEJON)

PALO, Leyte — The Regional Development Council VIII (RDC VIII) backed the establishment of a Doctor of Medicine Program at the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) during its 2nd Quarter Meeting on June 26.

Once opened, the program will help address the critical shortage of medical professionals in Eastern Visayas.

Based on the Department of Health (DOH), only 74 percent of local government units in Eastern Samar comply with the DOH standard for doctor-to-population ratio of 1:20,000.
In addition, 50 percent of doctors occupying Municipal Health Officer positions in the province are expected to retire within the next three years.

The RDC VIII’s support complements House Bill No. 9872, entitled “An Act Establishing a College of Medicine in the Eastern Samar State University in the City of Borongan, Province of Eastern Samar, to be Known as the ‘Eastern Samar State University College of Medicine,’ and Appropriating Funds Therefor.”

The bill, filed by House Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan, is already at the committee level in the 19th Congress.

The proposed Doctor of Medicine Program aligns with the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan 2023-2028’s strategy to strengthen healthcare systems by increasing the number of medical professionals.

If realized, the program will significantly help improve access to healthcare and bolster the regional medical workforce for years to come.
(KACO/KDA, NEDA/PIA VIII)