Globe, PLDT set up free calls in typhoon areas

NO POWER, NO SIGNAL. A journalist inside the Manila Police Department Press Office during a power outage caused by Typhoon Glenda. Photo by Jose Del/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Globe Telecom and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) announced Wednesday, July 16, they will be setting up free calling (libreng tawag) facilities in areas devastated by Typhoon Glenda, as well as relief stations.

Globe communications head Yoly Crisanto said, "We will start putting up libreng tawag centers and relief operations in the affected areas as soon as we get the go signal that it is safe to deploy people there."

Smart Communications has set up libreng tawag centers of its own in Baytown Market, Barangay San Isidro, Angono, Rizal; Tonsuya Elementary School, Malabon City; Baseco Evacuation Center Manila; Navotas City Hall; and Legazpi City in cooperation with the Alagang Kapatid Foundation.

Globe said that its initial network assessment report saw Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Marinduque, Masbate, Quezon, and Sorsogon as being affected by service disruptions.

While no major infrastructure damage has been reported, Crisanto also said the company’s service teams are already on the ground to do site assessments for immediate service recovery.

PLDT, Smart, and Sun Cellular also advised its customers on Facebook that normal services in a number of areas may be disrupted despite the telecommunications facilities of the companies in Metro Manila and Regions 3, 4 and 5 remaining largely unscathed by Typhoon Glenda.

A spokesperson from Smart added that an estimated 15% and 20% of the company's facilities in Metro Manila and in South Luzon respectively, were affected by the storm. Masbate, Sorsogon and Albay were reportedly the hardest hit.

While key installations of both fixed line and mobile networks have standby power, a number of facilities relied on commercial power. As a result, a prolonged outage of power, will likely disrupt normal services if the internal batteries in the equipment lose power.

– Rappler.com