In normal, less stressful times, Lily, a healthcare professional for almost 15 years now, visits her parents two to three times a week. Caring and thoughtful with a bubbly personality, Lily never runs out of pleasant surprises for her parents like the time she brought along a three-man-band to greet her Dad on his 75th birthday, or when she organized a mini-fiesta to celebrate her Mom's 73rd.
But when the COVID-19 pandemic started to disrupt everyone's lives, Lily's visits became infrequent. Working in one of the largest hospitals in Metro Manila which has reached full capacity has made it impossible for her to visit her folks.
Nowadays, Lily has become a virtual presence in her parents' home. She checks on them through video calls and online chats via PLDT Home Fibr broadband connection. "Without our video calls, my parents would be worried sick about me. Seeing me onscreen reassures them that I'm staying fit and healthy and doing my best to help patients," she said.
Keeping frontliners like Lily connected to their families, friends, and colleagues is the Internet, the vital link that brings Filipinos closer to each other and the world.
The Philippines' first connection to the Internet was established by ComNet's Benjie Tan at a PLDT network center in Makati City on March 29, 1994.
In 1997, PLDT established the first Internet hub in the country - the Philippine Internet Exchange or PhIX.
Since then, PLDT has continued to build the country's most extensive network infrastructure. It has transformed its networks by infusing them with greater intelligence in order to create products and services that address the needs and requirements of subscribers from all sectors of society.
Using fiber optics technology, PLDT and its mobile subsidiary Smart Communications have further strengthened their network advantage over the years.
In 2019, PLDT's fiber optics network reached 322,400 kilometers — the country's most extensive digital backbone/transport network infrastructure.
"PLDT is continuously developing its formidable network infrastructure to enable subscribers to seamlessly connect with all the significant people in their lives," said PLDT and Smart Public Affairs Head Ramon Isberto.
He added that with the current Covid-19 pandemic, PLDT Home has initiated various programs to serve subscribers' connectivity requirements as they stay safely at home.
Some of the initiatives include the continuous deployment of PLDT's field and support personnel such as repair and maintenance crews, agents in call centers and sales and service centers.
PLDT has also improved its network by expanding the caching capacity of its data centers. This helps avoid network overload and accommodate data traffic of commonly used social media and streaming sites such as Google, Facebook, and Netflix.
For a strong and reliable internet connection, PLDT Home has rolled out free Speedboost until April 30 for highly-affected areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Kalinga, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Tarlac. With minimum speeds of 25 Mbps, this Speedboost aims to help families working and studying at home to keep up with their daily tasks online.
PLDT Prepaid Home WiFi and PLDT Home volume-based customers now have free access to news websites for timely information about Covid-19. Free calls are likewise available for PLDT subscribers to the Covid-19 hotline 1555, National Emergency Response Center 8888 and Citizen Complaint Hotline 911.
The Covid-19 crisis has made the essential workers more perceptible, more visible to everyone's eyes. People have realized the invaluable services of healthcare workers like Lily and her colleagues, as well as janitors, sanitation staff of hospitals and communities, drugstore andsupermarket crews, security guards, home delivery riders, policemen, and volunteers.
Strongly connecting essential workers to their loved ones who inspire and give them the energy and resolve is the most extensive and resilient network in the country — an essential support for essential people like Lily in a time like no other.
