It was a race to restore telco services in one of the most storm-battered provinces of the Philippines, and in the face of a raging pandemic, it was just another day at work for two courageous engineers of PLDT-Smart.
 
Undeterred by the tail ends of Rolly, the strongest typhoon to hit the world in 2020, and the effort of complying with the government's strict health protocols amid the current pandemic, two PLDT-Smart engineers resolutely flew to Catanduanes to establish connectivity in the typhoon-ravaged island. They were able to set up the 1st VSAT, bringing the first connections between Catanduanes and the outside world to urgently seek help and relief from its distressful condition. 
 
On November 3, a day after Super Typhoon Rolly rammed Southern Luzon, hitting hard the Bicol region and beating Catanduanes the hardest, PLDT- Smart engineers Orland Cubacub and Orlando Liangco took on the challenging task of restoring connectivity to the island province which was isolated for a few days after being devastated by the super typhoon.
 
“We used our own aircraft to bring our crew to Catanduanes to begin repairing downed equipment so we can immediately connect the province to the rest of the country,” said  PLDT Chief Revenue Officer and Smart President Alfredo S. Panlilio.
 
Cubacub, who arrived in Catanduanes ahead of Liangco due to the limited capacity of the PLDT chopper, explained: “The first mission order was to set up IP (Internet Protocol) VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) in Virac site to fire up signal."
 
“We established signal at 8:42 am on November 4. We were the first to restore mobile services after Super Typhoon Rolly,” Cubacub said.
 
He immediately phoned his colleague and namesake who was then disembarking at the Virac airport to tell him that the 1st VSAT in Catanduanes was already up and running, providing voice and SMS to residents.
 
“Everybody at the airport was looking at me and asking, ‘may signal na?’ I said, ‘opo, sa Smart po.’ Nakakataba ng puso na makita ang mga tao na naka-smile habang tumatawag,” recalled Liangco.
 
“Senior engineers Cubacub and Liangco are members of the Metro Manila Emergency Response Team (ERT). They have more than 20 years’ experience handling various base stations and transport equipment,” said PLDT-Smart Vice President for Network Operations Debbie Hu. “They have the capability and experience to facilitate the restoration and are accustomed to working under stressful conditions,” she added.
 
Hu noted that it was “a challenging assignment for the engineers who were not familiar with the area. But true to their passion and commitment to provide service to Catanduanes and its residents, they went straight to fulfill their assignment and worked relentlessly to restore connectivity.”

 
They are not indeed strangers to disasters. Liangco was also a first responder to Super Typhoon Yolanda’s victims. But he was astonished by the positivity and grit of the people in Catanduanes: “The motto that ‘life goes on’ is in their system. Two days after Rolly destroyed their houses and properties, they were ready and eager to rebuild!”
 
They made a breakthrough on November 5.  With Catanduanes-based engineers Rizalde Bacagan, Mark Anthony Lanon, and Xyronne Encinares, the team successfully linked up the first cell site using Smart's microwave radios which made signal stronger and faster with more capacity.
 
Earlier, PLDT-Smart also deployed other engineers, apart from Liangco and Cubacub, to restore connectivity in hard-hit areas like Naga, Camarines Sur, and Albay. Some of them proceeded to Catanduanes to assist in the island’s restoration works.
 
“It is important that we immediately restore services to our customers that’s why we are also providing Libreng Tawag and Libreng Charging stations to typhoon-hit communities,” Panlilio said.
 
Libreng Tawag stations are now operational in Virac, providing vital communication links to affected residents so they can connect with their loved ones. Smart is also running Libreng Tawag and Libreng Charging operations in other provinces that have suffered the wrath of Rolly such as: Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Camarines Sur, Marinduque, Pampanga, Sorsogon, Tarlac, and Zambales.
 
Wireless services have been restored in most areas affected by SuperTyphoon Rolly. PLDT and Smart are now focusing efforts on hardest hit provinces like Catanduanes, Albay, and Camarines Sur.
 
All PLDT and Smart teams on the ground are working round-the-clock to restore affected services. They will be there, they said, “hangga’t kailangan nila kami.”