Smart services normalized in ‘Pablo’-ravaged provinces

Smart Communications Inc. has normalized services in many of the provinces hit hard by Typhoon “Pablo,” and has put up free call and charging stations there.

Voice and SMS services are back to normal in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte, Smart said in an advisory. Communication services are also up in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Surigao and Iligan.

Restoration work is still ongoing in areas with power outages and extensive damages to roads and bridges, such as in Davao Oriental, particularly in the towns of Cateel, Baganga and Boston; outlying barangays of Agusan and Surigao; and two towns in Compostela Valley.

Smart Libreng Tawag stations are now online in Compostela Valley’s Provincial Capitol in Cabidjianan, Nabunturan, and the Incident Command Post of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council at the Palawan Provincial Capitol grounds.

Free call stations were also put up on Tuesday in Poblacion, Tarragona, and Poblacion, Caraga (Davao Oriental); Surigao City Gym, which is serving as temporary evacuation center and command center of the rescue team; and San Francisco evacuation center in Agusan del Sur.

Smart has provided airtime support to the Dumaguete City Risk Reduction Management Council Operation Center, and has set up a Libreng Tawag station there.

It has also started relief operations in Compostela Valley, Agusan del Sur and Davao Oriental in joint efforts with PLDT, Tulong Alagang Kapatid, and the PLDT-Smart Foundation.

Subscribers who want to send financial help to distressed families may course it to the Philippine Red Cross through text by sending RED <AMOUNT> to 4143. Valid donation amounts are P10, P25, P50 and P100, and will be charged to the subscriber’s prepaid load or postpaid bill.

For updates and for disaster preparedness tips, follow @smartcares or visit facebook.com/smartcommunications.