PLDT, Smart provide emergency load assistance to typhoon-hit customers in North Luzon

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) further expand support to typhoon-hit communications in the form of food packs, hygiene and sleeping kits, and communications as aid. 

The Group has begun sending emergency load assistance to communities severely impacted by typhoon #EgayPH, which barreled through provinces in North Luzon.

Areas initially identified for the emergency load assistance include Abra, Bataan, Benguet, Bulacan, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Zambales. The Group continues to monitor affected communities and will provide aid in areas where it is needed most.

“As our network restoration progresses, we have mobilized manpower and resources to offer Libreng Tawag, Charging, and WiFi stations as well as emergency load assistance to those most affected by the typhoon," said Cathy Yang, First Vice President, and Group Head for Corporate Communications of PLDT and Smart.

PLDT and Smart are also continuously working with local government units, response teams, and their provincial distributors to better assist residents in various North Luzon areas. The following Libreng Tawag (free calls) and Libreng Load (free load) setups remain operational today. 

 

ILOCOS NORTE 

• Araniw Barangay Hall, Laoag City 

• Apaya Barangay Hall, Laoag City  

 

Customers can also avail free calls, charging, and WiFi at the PLDT Sales, Service Centers, and Store in Laoag City.

 

Relief assistance from PLDT, Smart, and its corporate social outreach arm, PLDT-Smart Foundation including food items, toiletries, mats, and blankets will be distributed to more affected families in the coming days.  

 

The PLDT Group is also in close coordination with the rest of Tulong Kapatid, the corporate social responsibility consortium of companies and foundations led by Manuel V Pangilinan, to provide other forms of relief to reach more communities in need.  

 

All these efforts are part of the Group’s #SafeandSmart advocacy that aims to provide immediate response through network resilience, continuous availability of communication services, and relief assistance to communities affected by disasters. This also underscores the commitment of PLDT and Smart to help the country attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.