(Courtesy of PIA-Quezon)
MANILA – Communications and internet services in most areas affected by Sunday’s super typhoon are back through the continued restoration efforts of telecommunications companies (telcos).
In a service advisory on Friday, Globe Telecom Inc. reported “100 percent restoration of services” in all areas in Luzon where “Karding” was most destructive.
“We are happy to share that our services are now 100 percent available in Nueva Ecija, bringing our total typhoon-related restoration efforts to completion. This took the longest due to challenges on the ground, while we were able to restore our services on Tuesday in other typhoon-stricken areas,” Globe corporate communications officer Yoly Crisanto said in a statement.
Specifically, she said mobile services have been fully restored in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Rizal, Quezon, including the Polillo Group of Islands, and Metro Manila.
“We know how critical connectivity is to response and recovery during calamities. Through planning and preparation, Globe was able to quickly restore service in typhoon-hit areas despite logistical challenges,” she said.
On the other hand, PLDT and its wireless subsidiary, Smart, have fully restored services in several provinces, including Pampanga, Aurora, Bulacan, and Pangasinan.
To help provide connectivity to mobile users in areas still suffering from the damage of the typhoon, PLDT-Smart continues to provide free calls, free charging, and free WiFi stations in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, and Tarlac.
It has also distributed relief goods through the Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc. to coastal communities in Polillo Islands while One Meralco Foundation, Maynilad, and Metro Pacific Tollways distributed aid in the form of food packs, drinking water, and other necessities to Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal.
On Sunday, Karding made landfall In Quezon and Aurora provinces and heavily damaged nearby provinces, especially Nueva Ecija, before leaving the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday.
The number of individuals affected climbed to 911,404 or equivalent to 245,063 families in seven regions, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Friday.
They are from 1,759 villages in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Cordillera Administrative Region. (PNA)
