Globe allots P300 million for repair of damaged facilities

MANILA, Philippines - Globe Telecom will shell out around P300 million for the repair of facilities affected by the recent calamities as well as for community-building activities in typhoon-devastated areas.

Globe has launched the Bangon Pinoy program that allows communities severely affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng to benefit from relief operations, financial assistance, network restoration and a series of community-rebuilding activities.

The program combines rebates to affected subscribers, community-rebuilding activities with Globe employee volunteers, and ongoing network repairs to improve and restore service to all users.

As part of the company’s efforts to restore and improve its mobile and broadband networks hard hit by the ensuing rains and floods, Globe engineers have been working round the clock since Sept. 26 to bring back services to affected areas. Mobile sites on wheels were also deployed in densely-populated areas, while other existing sites were provisioned to handle the load from damaged sites. 

As of Oct. 14, Globe has restored 99 percent of its wireless network and 92 percent of its broadband network affected by Ondoy and restoration efforts will continue until 100 percent service availability is reached, company officials said.

Globe will spend around P148 million, of which P44 million will be used to repair its mobile network and P104 million for its broadband network.

Meanwhile, as goodwill to subscribers affected by the typhoons, Globe has determined the postpaid subscribers whose mobile service was affected during the typhoons and will be offered one month free mobile service.

As for prepaid subscribers from identified high-flood-level areas who were affected, Globe will send an SMS blast to prepaid subscribers, informing them that they will receive one week free load, the amount of which will be determined individually per subscriber based on their historical reloading patterns.

It is estimated that the rebates to Globe mobile users will amount to nearly P103 million.

Also, Globe will offer proactive rebates to affected broadband subscribers, covering the period from Sept. 26 until the date their service is restored. The policy will be “no service, no charge.”

Globe will also provide broadband subscribers the option to suspend their postpaid broadband service for a period of one to three months, to enable them to fix their homes or replace PCs or other equipment.

Rebates, modem replacements and special offers to Globe broadband users will amount to P31.5 million.

To help local industries get back on their feet, Bangon Pinoy will visit flood-ridden locations in North Luzon and will work with cooperatives for possible grants and partnerships towards rebuilding efforts and to bring local industries back on track.

In affected parts of Rizal and Marikina, to help its retailers, sub-dealers and distributors to recover losses, Globe will spend nearly P 1.3 million to introduce special assistance packages providing free replacement retailer SIMs and handsets, along with new SIM stocks for selling to replace any lost in the floods. In addition, distributors will get further discounts on their stock orders, a benefit which the distributors can extend down the line to their sub-dealers and retailers within their areas.

Globe has partnered with local government units and church groups in Metro Manila and North Luzon locations, to put up stations offering free calls, free Internet and free phone charging services for residents in those areas.

Community rebuilding activities will cost an estimated P4.4 million to be shouldered by Globe.

In addition to its community visits, Bangon Pinoy will bring technology to bear by enabling web users to reach out in cyberspace. This month, top bloggers and internet users will rally to make a difference by volunteering in the cleanup and tweeting updates, with Globe donating P 1 per tweet to flood victims. Bangon Pinoy projects up to P400,000 raised through this effort.

Since Sept. 26, Globe’s corporate social responsibility program Globe Bridging Communities has provided relief packages to 17,000 families in Marikina, Rizal, Muntinlupa, Laguna and Pangasinan.