By Pearl Gumapos
As Typhoon Odette made its way through Visayas and Mindanao the past few days, it caused disruptive effects on several telecommunications (telco) services.
The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Saturday (Dec. 18) said it is closely monitoring and coordinating response efforts for the immediate restoration of affected telco sites.
According to the DICT-ETC, daily checkpoint meetings have been held to reassess ground zero challenges including road clearing operations.
Commercial power, telco services, and internet connectivity are all currently unavailable in Surigao.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) is currently onsite at DICT-Butuan providing technical assistance in the establishment of more radio communications links.
DICT has deployed 53 emergency telecommunications equipment, while 598 more are available and ready for deployment.
The DICT is also coordinating with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) regarding the deployment and mobilization of telecommunication assets and network teams for the restoration of commercial services in Visayas and Mindanao that were affected by the typhoon.
Telco companies such as Globe, Smart, and PLDT have set up free call, wifi, and charging stations across Visayas and Mindanao.
Some of the areas included in the companies’ free services are:
PLDT/Smart:
- Negros Occidental
- Agusan del Norte
- Bohol
- Cebu
Globe:
- Bohol
- Cebu
- Iloilo
- Agusan del Norte
- Bukidnon
- Misamis Oriental
-jlo
