Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) through its brand Sun Cellular are focusing its efforts on providing direct assistance to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda and to support the national government and various relief agencies.  Smart is also fast-tracking the restoration of wireless communications services in the affected areas even as we continue to provide free call and free charging services. 

Smart, Talk ‘N Text and Sun network services have restored 82% of its network services in the Visayas. The breakdown per province is as follows:

In Palawan, network service is 100% normalized except for Coron with 50% restored to date.

“We’re stepping up the deployment of network equipment to more areas so that we can restore rapidly services at strategic areas such as dense population centers, relief operations  centers and vital facilities like airports.  As majority of the provinces in the affected regions have already been mostly restored, we’re focusing on the remaining provinces that were in the path of the storm and were hardest hit so that we can assist in the emergency humanitarian efforts in these areas.” said Ramon R. Isberto, PLDT and Smart Public Affairs group head.

“In the meantime, we continue to deploy more equipment and personnel for our Libreng Tawag services especially in the most severely affected cities and towns. We’ve also opened our facilities to make way for free mobile phone battery charging station because power is still out in these areas and can take weeks or even months for power companies to restore.” he added.

Yesterday, Smart and DMPI started Libreng Tawag operations in Borongan, Samar using Smart Satellite Services in partnership with Thuraya Satellite, providing first-line communications to residents in the city without power or regular mobile communications. In Tacloban City, the wireless companies of PLDT further expanded its Libreng Tawag stations to four different sites in the city as it fires up a second cellsite in the city’s airport area, augmenting the signal made available early morning yesterday at the downtown area.

The specific locations of Libreng Tawag Centers are as follows:

1.       Smart cellsite in Borongan City, Samar

2.       PNP Headquarters, Tacloban City, Leyte

3.       PLDT Office, Jones St., Tacloban City, Leyte

4.       DSWD booth, Tacloban City Hall

5.       Smart cellsite near VNG Subdivision, Tacloban City, Leyte

6.       Municipal Hall, Palo, Leyte

7.       Smart Store, Ormoc City, Leyte (with free mobile phone charging)

8.       Ormoc City Plaza, Ormoc City, Leyte

9.       Ormoc airport, Ormoc City, Leyte

10.   Municipal Hall, San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu

11.   Cebu Cultural Center, Bantayan Island

12.   Smart cellsite in Sta.Fe, Bantayan Island (with free mobile phone charging)

13.   Madridejos Municipal Hall, Bantayan Island (with free mobile phone charging)

Libreng Tawag stations in Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte from 9AM to 3PM as per curfew rules in area except for VNG Subdivision which is open only at night.

Free mobile phone battery charging services are also available at the Smart cellsite in Roxas City in Capiz and Smart cellsite in Old Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan.

Additional teams have been deployed to open more Libreng Tawag stations in Leyte and Samar where the most devastated communities are located.

“We’re using different mobile and satellite technologies to rapidly address the needs of these communities. Aside from mobile network restoration and deployment of Smart Satellite Services, we’ve also partnered with Vodafone Foundation for the set up of an instant mobile network in Leyte.” Said Isberto.

A team from Smart and Vodafone Foundation Instant Networks are on their way to Palo, Leyte, a town some 15 km. south of Tacloban City to install an ultra-portable network that can be fired up to restore vital communications in the area in support of humanitarian relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The same instant network setup was first used in the Philippines in Baganga, Davao Oriental by Smart and Vodafone to serve emergency response for communities hit by Typhoon Pablo/ Bopha.