VALENZUELA City Mayor Wes Gatchalian said on Tuesday that at least three internet companies, including the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), have provided refunds to thousands of affected local subscribers.
Earlier this month, Gatchalian met with representatives of PLDT, Converge and Globe to raise Valenzuela's concerns regarding internet service interruptions and the delayed restoration of affected lines.
The discussions centered on the need for service providers to respond promptly to their subscribers and to extend appropriate assistance to consumers who experienced prolonged outages, the mayor said.
As a result, Gatchalian said Converge has provided a total of P1,671,615 in rebates, which were allocated to 3,600 affected accounts/subscribers.
Meanwhile, PLDT gave back a total of P314,671.48 in rebates, of which P94,972.73 has already been refunded while the P219,698.75 is still being processed.
“Although discussions with other service providers, such as Globe Telecom, are still ongoing regarding the issues that need to be addressed, the local government continues to ensure that the concerns raised are given proper attention so that clients can receive the quality of service they deserve,” the mayor said.
Gatchalian said his constituents endured disruptions to their internet services due to continuous and heavy rainfall, leaving many households and businesses struggling to stay connected.
“Staying connected should never be a luxury. It means being able to work, attend classes, run a business, communicate with loved ones, and access information when it matters most. And when that connection is lost, ‘Pamilyang Valenzuelano’ deserves to be heard,” he said.
As the outages dragged on, complaints began flooding the mayor's office about delayed repairs, prolonged loss of connectivity, and continued payment of monthly bills despite not receiving services.
For some residents, the disruption lasted nearly a month.
“The city government's intervention underscores its commitment to listening to the concerns of its residents and ensuring that their voices reach the companies responsible for essential services,” the mayor said.
