BAGUIO CITY – Sun-powered MyPhone handsets were turned over to the Office of Civil Defense-Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR) for use of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) team to fortify rescue and relief operations in the region. Sun is the mobile brand of Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc., a subsidiary of PLDT.
“The MyPhone My112 SOS Phone is a handy tool in times of emergency and disasters. Recognizing that reliable communications is an important component of disaster response, PLDT and MyPhone have collaborated to make these handsets available to the DRRM team of CAR especially at times when typhoons and landslides are frequent in the region,” said Ariel P. Fermin, PLDT EVP and Head of Consumer Business Group.
The MyPhone My112 SOS Phone is a durable handset for simple connectivity needs, but is packed with features that will come in handy in times of emergency and disasters. It has a dedicated SOS button that triggers a siren sound, which is perfect as a signaling device in times of danger or when in need of rescue during disasters. It is armed with a flashlight and its 6000 mAh battery can also double as a Powerbank, a useful feature in case of power failures. It also glows in the dark and is water and shock resistant – perfect for the challenging conditions during disasters.
Each MyPhone My112 SOS handset will come bundled with a Sun Prepaid SIM and 3 months-worth of CTU 450 load from Sun. CTU450 is packed with unlimited calls to Sun, Smart & Talk n Text, unlimited all-net texts, Facebook, Nonstop chat, Spinnr and P50 regular load, valid for 30 days.
OCD-CAR will be distributing the handsets to the remote areas in the region, the heads of response teams in Baguio, and other DRRM offices in need of reinforcement in emergency communications.
OCD-CAR has also been getting support from PLDT, through its wireless telecommunications subsidiary Smart Communications (Smart), for years now via the Smart Infocast, an emergency communications solution that allows OCD-CAR to send warning, advisories, preparedness and safety tips via SMS to 3,000 DRRM officers and residents in the region for free.
“Smart Infocast is a big help in spreading vital information to the public in the fastest way possible. This increases their level of awareness and urges them to smartly prepare for incoming disasters. If you look at our data on the casualties, there’s a huge decrease in the number,” said OCD-CAR Regional Director Andrew Alex Uy.
“Before, people have to listen to the radio for warnings and advisories but now, everyone receives the information through text messages. Even the local balut vendor receives them,” Uy shared.
OCD has been intensifying its Regional Early Warning System, reiterating that preparedness from the government down to the grass root level is ultimately the key to achieving disaster risk reduction.
Currently, all six provinces in CAR are connected via Smart Infocast, which was launched in the region last 2012.
With the MyPhone SOS donation from PLDT, OCD-CAR is empowered to deal with disasters and emergencies. “The MyPhone SOS handsets complement Smart Infocast in boosting emergency communications in our region,” Uy said.
By Dexter A. See
