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Globe, Smart to suspend mobile services for Traslacion

By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz

January 8, 2020, 2:55 pm

<p><strong>SEA OF DEVOTEES.</strong> An estimated 3 million devotees joined the annual feast day and procession of the Black Nazarene, also known as Traslacion, in 2019. Touching the image, carriage, and even the rope carrying the Black Nazarene is believed to give miracles or luck in life. <em>(File photo)</em></p>

SEA OF DEVOTEES. An estimated 3 million devotees joined the annual feast day and procession of the Black Nazarene, also known as Traslacion, in 2019. Touching the image, carriage, and even the rope carrying the Black Nazarene is believed to give miracles or luck in life. (File photo)

MANILA – Telecommunications firms Smart and Globe will temporarily shut down their network services in parts of Metro Manila starting Wednesday for the annual Traslacion or the procession of the Black Nazarene on Thursday.

In an advisory, Smart Communications Inc. announced that the mobile phone services of its Smart, TNT, and Sun networks in Quiapo, Manila and along the route of the procession will be suspended on Wednesday and restored once allowed by the authorities.

“We are also temporarily stopping the operation of some of our cell sites in parts of Pasay, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Malabon, Caloocan and Quezon City that are near the procession route,” the advisory read.

Although Globe has yet to release an advisory for the suspension of its mobile services, both telco companies have been directed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in a memorandum to suspend its operations in the procession route as part of safety measures requested by the Philippine National Police.

In the memorandum dated Jan. 6, 2020 and signed by NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, both networks were directed to cut off all network services starting at 11 p.m. on Wednesday (January 8) until 12 p.m. on January 10.

“There shall be no signal, direct and/or reflected, in the area specified in the order/directive, coming from any cell sites (base stations),” the memorandum read.

On Monday, the Manila City government announced the suspension of classes at all levels and work in the local government in the city on Thursday in preparation for the expected massive influx of devotees for the religious event.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority also announced the closure of five bridges in Manila to be used by the procession and due to ongoing rehabilitation works on the Del Pan Bridge, Jones Bridge, MacArthur Bridge, Quezon Bridge, and Ayala Bridge. (PNA) 

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