Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Inc. and Sun Cellular have announced they are preparing for Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), which is expected to make landfall late today.
A joint advisory released by Smart and Sun says that business continuity plans are in place to maintain communication services and ensure speedy response and restoration should facilities be affected.
As a precautionary measure against the possible onslaught of the typhoon, additional equipment and personnel in crucial sites have been prepositioned in Samar and Leyte to minimize possible service interruptions, according to the joint advisory.
“Rest assured that Smart & Sun Cellular are exerting all efforts to minimize, if not prevent, interruptions to vital telecommunications services that may be caused by Typhoon Yolanda,” says the advisory.
For its part, Globe Telecom said that the company’s disaster-preparedness program has enabled the telecommunications provider to be fully equipped in the face calamity threat coming from super-typhoon Yolanda.
Globe says the company’s disaster-preparedness initiative includes its network-resiliency program to ensure that subscribers are provided with text, call and data services even when a disaster strikes, said Yoly Crisanto, Head of Globe Corporate Communications. Crisanto also noted that the company’s network modernization program also involves the deployment of advanced equipment that further strengthened its network resiliency and redundancy measures.
Crisanto emphasized that the company’s technical personnel will be available 24/7 to address any network-related concern especially during these times.
Crisanto said another vital component of the company’s disaster-preparedness program also involve employee-safety measures implemented all over the country as well as close coordination with national and local governments.
The company is also well-prepared to undertake community-disaster response operations that could include “Libreng Tawag” centers through Globe Bridging Communities, the telecommunication company’s CSR arm, she added.
Typhoon Yolanda. Image from PAGASA Website
Tips
Smart also provided the following tips to mobile phone users:
1. Fully charge cell phone batteries and ensure that you have enough load to make calls and send messages for at least three days.
2. In the event of power outages, conserve battery power. Make judicious use of voice calls. Send text messages instead as these put less strain on your batteries.
3. Store emergency numbers in your cell phone — family members you can call for help, television and radio stations where you can get storm information, and responding relief agencies such as the National Disaster Coordinating Council, local government units, local police, local chapter of the Philippine National Red Cross, etc. Keep a hard copy as well in case you run out of battery and need to use the numbers.
4. Keep your cell phone dry. Wrap it in plastic or use cling-wrap for easy use.
5. Pack your charger so that you can easily re-charge your cell phone battery once power is restored or made available via other means such as charging stations of Smart Libreng Tawag Centers.
6. Keep a battery-operated radio handy as well as spare batteries to make sure you stay informed about important news such as evacuation warnings, storm updates, rescue developments, etc. in case electric and communication facilities shut down.
7. Please store food and water good for at least two days just in case your area is flooded and you won’t be able to go to a store or the market.
