PLDT has fully restored its fixed services in Negros Island while its mobile services arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has fully restored its wireless services in Bohol after super typhoon Odette devastated the two provinces toward the end of 2021.

Odette’s massive destruction had resulted in numerous fiber cuts, broken poles, and damage to cell sites in Bohol and southern Negros. PLDT and Smart engineers from neighboring regions were immediately deployed to these provinces to fast-track network restoration.

One of the emergency response initiatives that immediately helped bring back communication services in Bohol was the use of Multi-equipment on wheels (MEOW), a portable cell site and satellite communications suite providing immediate communication support in lieu of the three collapsed Smart towers in the towns of Trinidad, Jetafe, and Danao.

PLDT and Smart have also deployed Libreng Tawag and Libreng Charging stations as communication aid to hard-hit communities in Bohol and southern Negros. PLDT and Smart also distributed over 3000 relief packs to affected residents, upholding the companies’ core value of ‘malasakit’ or compassion.

These efforts form part of PLDT and Smart’s #SafeandSmart advocacy which promotes preparedness and immediate response through network resilience, continuous availability of communication services, and relief assistance to help communities mitigate disaster risks. These initiatives also underscore the commitment of PLDT and Smart to attaining the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG No. 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities.