PLDT Chairman and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan listens as Manila Mayor Isko Moreno speaks during the signing of the memorandum of agreement for Smart Wifi at the Manila City Hall on August 7, 2019.
MANILA, Philippines, March 20, 2020 — Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso launched today a Facebook-based survey service for city residents to help the city government assess the risks posed by the Covid-19 outbreak and assist individuals in need of help.
In support of this effort, PLDT is providing enhanced data connectivity for the online survey service and is beefing up city hall’s hotline facility that will handle public queries about COVID-19.
Manila CODE COVID-19 (Contain and Delay) Health survey and Community Education Campaign is a free service given to the public where they can answer a few questions about their health status related to COVID-19.
Through the Mayor’s official Facebook page “Isko Moreno Domagoso”, which has 2.4 million followers, residents can voluntarily participate in the survey via the “Send Message” feature which asks participants to answer questions such as their recent travel history and whether they are experiencing symptoms such as colds, coughs or sore throat.
“This simple application, together with you, will help us become efficient in handling this problem in this critical time. The city government is doing everything to mitigate this crisis affecting public health,” reiterated Mayor Domagoso during his 20-minute Facebook live broadcast.
“It is also crucial for everyone to have access to official information from our government and other official sources, and, to the Manila emergency operations center Covid19 command center hotlines where qualified professionals are able to assist 24/7,” he added.
“We at PLDT are working closely with the government to help everyone get through the COVID crisis by providing critical solutions to our partners. Using the right technology solutions can help individuals, companies and the country deal more effectively with the health threat posed by the COVID outbreak,” said PLDT Head of Enterprise Jovy Hernandez.
PLDT will provide an additional five direct lines to Manila City Hall that will serve as hotline numbers for residents with concerns regarding Covid 19 and dedicated connectivity solution. The fiber connectivity solution will help Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso in his live broadcasts of announcement and in handling the Facebook-based survey questionnaire for his constituents.
In line with this effort, PLDT is also stepping up its efforts to augment the connectivity for the command centers of other government agencies and local government units in handling COVID19-related cases and inquiries in their respective localities.
Together with its wireless subsidiary Smart, PLDT is coordinating with national government agencies and local government units in implementing mitigation and safety measures through its various connectivity services.
In response to the COVID pandemic, PLDT and Smart have ramped up their efforts to provide connectivity to homes and businesses. PLDT has provide a speed boost its fiber customers in Metro Manila while Smart has provided free mobile data access to government websites such those of the Department of Health as well as websites of leading news organization. These moves are intended to help the public stay informed about the latest developments in the COVID outbreak and how to keep safe during this health crisis.
