A technician climbs a traditional cell tower 400 feet above the ground along Quirino Highway Novaliches-Fairview in Quezon City on August 5, 2022. (PNA photo by Oliver Marquez)
MANILA – Local telecommunications firm Globe Telecom, Inc. (Globe) has completed service restoration in all 30 provinces that experienced disruptions due to Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.
In a public service advisory on Friday, Globe said ground efforts to bring back call, text, and data services in Cebu, the last province to experience disruptions, were completed on Thursday.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of Globe’s field personnel, we’ve managed to complete all restoration efforts in storm-hit provinces in less than a week, including in severely affected areas that experienced power outages and mobility challenges due to storm debris. This is proof of the resiliency of our network,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe chief sustainability and corporate communications officer.
Globe earlier restored services in several areas in Luzon including Metro Manila and the provinces of Albay, Batangas, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Masbate, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Romblon, Rizal, and Sorsogon.
In the Visayas, these include Aklan, Antique, Bohol, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Siquijor, Southern Leyte, and Western Samar.
Crisanto said ground personnel were prepositioned in areas on the path of Paeng to ensure “swift response in case of service disruptions.”
“Globe facilities are also fitted with redundant energy sources, such as generator sets and batteries, to minimize service disruptions in case of commercial power outages,” she said.
During the immediate aftermath of the typhoon, free calls and charging stations were also sent to Capiz, Marinduque, Tuguegarao City, and Quezon to help residents communicate with their loved ones.
On the other hand, PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (PLDT-Smart) have so far fully restored network services in the provinces of Leyte, Samar, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Oriental Mindoro.
In its last public service update on Monday, simultaneous restoration efforts were ongoing in Metro Manila, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
“There is also an ongoing network assessment in areas experiencing service disruptions as a result of a commercial power failure because of 'Paeng,'” PLDT-Smart said.
Other affected areas in Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Quezon, Marinduque, Capiz, Antique, Aklan, Maguindanao del Norte, and Zamboanga City were said to receive relief assistance “in the coming days.” (PNA)
