MANILA, Dec 10 (PNA) — Libreng Tawag and charging stations for both PLDT mobile subsidiaries, Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) and Sun Cellular (Sun) are still open for the public in some areas hit by typhoon “Ruby”, the telco announced on Wednesday.
In a statement, PLDT said that both stations can be availed of in the Legislative Building lobby of the Cebu City Hall, and San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Bogo City, province of Cebu.
Meanwhile, in Catbalogan, Samar, free charging can be availed at the PLDT Tower in the city.
Libreng Tawag stations have also been opened to residents of affected municipalities in Quezon, Marinduque, and Samar. For Quezon, these are in Barangay Sto. Domingo and Barangay 3 Poblacion in Calauag, Poblacion and San Isidro in Catanauan, and Tagkawayan. In Marinduque, residents can proceed to Loading Station, Pag-asa in Sta. Cruz and ASD office in San Miguel, Boac.
For Eastern Samar, while mobile signal has been restored in Borongan City, residents can still avail of free calls in Borongan City Hall. In Northern Samar, free calls can be made in in Catarman Municipal Hall. Additional call stations using Smart Satellite phones will soon be set up in Palapag/ Gamay, Dolores and Taft.
PLDT made the announcement even after previously disrupted network coverage in many areas were reportedly restored.
Smart and Sun Head of Public Affairs Ramon Isberto in a statement said that the telco is currently focusing on areas where these services are needed most, particularly where network signal restoration has just been completed or is still ongoing.
Isberto said that the telco has also deployed portable power generation sets in Eastern Samar, Sorsogon, Quezon and Marinduque where commercial power has not yet been fully switched on to ensure continuous operations as well as for free device charging for residents.
PLDT earlier said that there were no major facilities damaged and that it expects full restoration soon in the few remaining areas that have service interruptions.
“Only areas that bore the initial strong onslaught of the typhoon were predominantly affected,” the telco official said.
“It was also good that PAG-ASA’s weather forecasts were on spot as we decided not to pre-emptively shutdown facilities because the benefits to the communities of having communications services at that time outweighed our operational risks,” he added. (PNA)