BALER, Aurora—A Japanese-Filipino submarine cable facility, a new addition to the Baler submarine cable landing corridor along the coastal waters in the province that stretches to the Pacific Ocean will help speed up the country’s international and local internet connectivity.
InfiniVAN Inc., a leading Japanese-Filipino telecommunications provider ground breaks on Wednesday, its very own Baler Cable Landing Station (CLS) in Suklayin-Buhangin Road in this town. The worth $15 million station that is targeted to be completed in August 2026 will house and operate InfinVAN’s own submarine cable system that will not only connect the Philippines to international internet infrastructure highway but will also become another backbone network infrastructure for the country.
Aejandro Aquino, Advisor, Strategic Partnerships and Business Development of InfiniVAN, said in a press conference after the groundbreaking ceremony that their firm’s CLS will be an addition to the existing tBaler cable landing station corridor including that of other landing corridors in the country—La union, Davao and Bicol and it will be an open-access to telecommunication providers which provide internet service to service providers.
He said Baler is ideal and a strategic location because of the ongoing geopolitical developments west of the Philippines, their company expects that all new submarine cable projects that wil be based in the Pacific, Japan and in the US will emanate in the Baler CLS. “That’s why we decided to station our cable in this area to be able to accommodate three to four submarine cable systems, one in 2028 and one will be as early as next year,” he said in a press conference.
Alberto Espedido, chief, technology officer of InfiniVAN explained that the Baler CLS InfiniVan will be different from other submarine cable internet sources or providers in the country because of the open access system where any other telecommunication providers and even competitors can connect. “It is an open access unlike other cable station that is very hard for an inter connection. We are open to all telecommunication, competitors are all welcome”.
Baler’s CLS, is a state-of-the-art telecommunication facility which will be the key gateway of the connectivity of the nation to the global regional highway. This means, he said, a faster, more reliable, and more resilient international internet connectivity, delivering high-capacity, low-latency broadband services to millions of Filipinos.
“Baler location is few of this particular location in the Eastern Seaboard that is technically feasible to land international cable landing station going to the Pacific, Japan, US and the pacific areas of countries. The station will be landing hub of two 2 cable system that will land soon, one goes to Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Tawan, and the other one going to the US. It will interconnect those international cable system going to the national backbone,” he said.
“Espedido told NEWSCORE that InfniVAN will be among if will not surpass PLDT, GLOBE, TELSTRA, Converge telecommunication companies which also own the biggest submarine cable network system in the country.
InfiniVAN has been one of the telco providers in the country and have been working to continue to expand their domestic network through what they built, Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) that connects the whole nation. “It will be directly connected tot his facility,” Espedido added.
Koji Miyashita, Chairman of InfiniVAN said that true to the name of their company, which is derived from the word “infinity and the acronym VAN for Value Added Network, the Baler fiber hub will bring bright future to the Philippines as the country rises to become the leader in the digital age.
He said the facility is more than infrastructure as it embodies key strengths that will shape Philippine digital landscape being an open gateway for global connectivity providing an open access landing station for the rest of the world.
“The strategic location of Baler in Luzon in the eastern shores offers a secured and reliable alternative by passing sensitive routes to ensure more resilient and efficient connection to Japan, the US and Pacific partners. The Baler cable station will also strengthen the national backbone of the country creating disaster resilient network that brings closer and beyond Metro Manila, reaching Visayas and Mindanao and every corner of the country as a vibrant platform for the next generation,” Marishita added.
The InfiniVAN head also assures local officials of their company’s commitment to construct the station with utmost care for Baler’s wonderful nature, environment and beauty to be preserved.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda who was with President Marcos in a state visit in India through a video message calls the Baler Japanese-Filipino digital project as the form of bayanihan that is keeping up with the thrust and order of the president that no Filipino should be left offline.
Connectivity after, he added is more than just technology because it is the country’s gateway to new opportunities, the driver of nation building and a vital link that keeps Filipino connected with each other and to the rest of the world.
“This is the spirit of digital bayanihan. By forging partnerships and working together, no challenge is too big if the government collaborates with our private sector partners. This will accelerate our government’s push to accelerate the digital transformation in our country for a secure, high capacity and future ready connectivity infrastructure. This cable landing station will not only enhance Aurora’s digital capacity ad strengthens the national internet backbone but will also deliver connectivity and changes that will be felt even by our future generations”.
Naobumi Yokota, Minister of Economic Affairs, Embassy of Japan n the Philippines, said the project is in line with the agreement between the leaders of the Philippines and Japan in a summit held April this year to strengthen public private partnership,
Naobumi said Baler CLS will increase the resilience of Philippine economy in this area as the Japanese play its important role in the development and maintenance of the submarine cable infrastructure n the Philippines.
He said the cooperation of Philippine government and the municipality of Baler is essential for the smooth implementation of the project. “We in the Japanese government is asking for the continuous support of this project which completion will further strengthen the family relationship of Japan and the Philippines,” he said.
Aurora Gov. Reynante Tolentino expressed his gratitude to the project as the province particularly the municipality of Baler continues to host under the sea cable fiber system for the internet connectivity in the whole country and even international internet highway.
