Super Typhoon Odette's onslaught in Cebu was a long night for many--most of whom didn’t show up for work the morning after, to tend to their own needs first.   Odette’s violent winds blew away roofs of people’s homes, including that of 44-year-old Janette Torres of ExpressCall Distribution, Smart Communications Inc.’s Provincial Distributor.  After securing her family’s safety, Torres reported for duty, serving long queues of people waiting for their turn to charge and call for free at the booth set up just outside Smart’s Regional Office in Mabolo.  
 
“Had I not reported for work that day, people would have had a hard time reaching out to their loved ones to update them that they were able to survive the night. Some of the customers were stranded foreigners,” shared Torres.  
 
With Smart providing the only available signal in the city days after Odette, many purchased SIMs, load cards and prepaid WiFi devices from Torres’ booth, especially since all malls in the city were closed.  Torres, who went on her selfless way to serve others, looks back on her decision with gratitude.


 
“I’m doing my best for my family, for the company that has taken good care of me, and for the communities we serve. I am happy to be able to help communities severely impacted by Odette regain access to Smart's services."
 
Torres used to be a balut (fertilized duck egg) vendor before she joined Expresscall 5 years ago. Her current job as a sales agent has greatly helped her and her family, especially since her husband lost his job after being retrenched due to pandemic.  Her enormous contribution reinforces PLDT and Smart’s #SafeandSmart advocacy which promotes preparedness and immediate response through network resilience, continuous availability of communication services, and relief assistance to help communities mitigate disaster risks.