(Photo courtesy of Discover Baybay City)
MANILA – Tropical Depression Agaton has caused network disruptions in several towns in the Visayas resulting from power outages, according to mobile and broadband network provider Globe Telecom (Globe).
In a public service announcement on Monday, Globe said calling and texting service outages were reported in 24 towns in Leyte, 16 in Southern Leyte, 10 in Bohol, and four in Cebu.
In addition, it said data connections -- both 3G and LTE -- were affected in 24 towns in Leyte, 15 in Southern Leyte, 10 in Bohol, and two in Cebu.
“As part of its intensified disaster preparedness program, Globe assures the public that its technical and support personnel are always on call to immediately restore communication services as needed in affected areas,” Globe’s announcement read.
Both Smart Communications (Smart) and Dito Telecommunity (Dito) are yet to announce the status of their network in areas affected by “Agaton”.
To address the network outages, Globe said “libreng tawag (free call)” and “libreng charging (free charging)” are being readied for rollout in areas affected by “Agaton” once the weather allows.
“Globe is prepared to activate existing GoWiFi facilities to provide additional internet connection in nearby areas as the need arises,” it said.
In areas with access to mobile data, it said Globe users may access the websites of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for free.
In an advisory released on Sunday, Smart and its parent company PLDT said its personnel “mission-critical equipment” such as emergency generators have been prepositioned in Visayas and Mindanao in preparation for “Agaton.”
“PLDT group’s libreng tawag (free calls), libreng charging (free charging) stations are also on standby, ready to be deployed in areas that will be heavily impacted by the tropical cyclone. However, for the safety of our personnel, operations will only commence once #AgatonPH has passed,” PLDT-Smart announced.
In its 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said “Agaton” was last spotted in the vicinity of Basey, Samar with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, gustiness of up to 60 kph, and a central pressure of 1,000 hectoPascals (hPa).
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 is currently raised over the southern portion of Masbate, Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, the northeastern portion of Cebu, including Camotes Island, the eastern portion of Bohol, Surigao del Norte, and the Dinagat Islands. (PNA)
