SMART, Air Force collaboration help restore communications

CEBU, Philippines - Smart Communications and the Philippine Air Force were both thanking each other for the respective efforts that were mutually beneficially to them in reaching out the typhoon-hit areas.

Jane Paredes, senior manager of the Public Affairs Division of Smart Communications in the Visayas and Mindanao, said that among other things, PAF was responsible in bringing their people who are in-charge of the restoration of their communication towers and lines in the Visayas.

PAF information officer, Lt. Col. Butch Guevarra, said Smart provided wifi signals through their satellite phones in areas were power lines are down.

Guevarra said that through these satellite phones, PAF was able to identify areas that need more assistance and relay this information to the rescue teams on the ground.

Paredes on the other hand said that PAF helped them airlift their heavy equipment to areas with no communication lines making the restoration efforts faster.

Paredes added that it has already restored 90 percent of their signals in areas affected by the typhoon. She said that restoration in the remaining 10 percent is also ongoing.

According to her, communication lines in the entire Northern Cebu, which was among the areas devastated by typhoon Yolanda, are already restored 100 percent.— /FPL (FREEMAN)