The Philippines, a country located along the typhoon belt, is no stranger to experiencing the impact of climate-related hazards. In the WorldRiskIndex 2022 report, the country was reported to have the highest disaster risk among 193 countries.
In the face of these challenges, Globe strives to build resilient network infrastructure that can withstand the impact of stronger and more frequent weather disturbances and other natural disasters. This is enclosed in the Globe Business Continuity Management Policy which stipulates the company’s commitment to provide continuity of critical operations that support delivery of key products and services, among others.
Globe’s head for Stakeholder Engagement and Management Miguel Bermundo shared this commitment at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Barangay Resilience Exchange 2022 Digital Conference, where he spoke in a panel on the topic “To The Rescue: Private Sectors sa Panahon ng Kalamidad.”
“A strong and resilient network is critical during times of disasters. So we have put in place a number of measures to ensure that our network remains up and running even in the most difficult conditions,” said Bermundo.
These efforts are part of Globe’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development, and UN SDG 17 which highlights the value of partnerships in achieving the sustainable development goals. Globe is committed to upholding the United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.
Some of these measures include having a dedicated team of engineers and technicians who are on standby 24/7 to address any issue that may arise, and investing in high-quality equipment designed to handle extreme weather conditions.
Globe also has network reinforcement efforts such as re-designing and retrofitting cell towers that fall along the typhoon path in compliance with the latest National Structural Code of the Philippines (7th edition). It also equips key sites with relevant access technologies and redundant transport facilities in the event of an area-wide outage, fortifies transport facilities, and complements backup environment-friendly batteries with higher capacity generator sets to address prolonged commercial power outages.
The company also invested in rapid-deployment solutions for stop-gap approaches and quick fixes in areas that need immediate support in times of disasters. This includes Cell Site On Wheels (COW) and Tower on Wheels (TOW), which are retractable towers that can be deployed quickly to provide temporary coverage and capacity in areas affected by network outage.
Other solutions include the Cellsite-on-a-Light Truck (COLT), Genset-on-a-Truck (GOAT) mobile generators and Network-in-a-Box (NIB) portable cell sites, which can be set up in strategic locations to provide temporary coverage and capacity in these affected areas.
Globe also aspires to empower customers through digital solutions such as timely disaster-related SMS alerts and cell broadcasts in collaboration with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Beyond this effort, it encourages customers to contribute to reforestation using Globe Rewards and the GCash platform.
Illustrating the success of Globe’s network resiliency efforts, Globe was the fastest telco to complete service restoration work in all parts of Luzon stricken by Super Typhoon Karding, which struck in September. Globe pulled this off through earlier preparation in its facilities on the typhoon’s path, including ensuring redundant emergency energy sources and prepositioning field personnel for quick dispatch to affected areas.
“We want to make sure that we are prepared for any eventuality so we continue to invest in building better network infrastructure and newer technologies. We regularly assess risks and impact to improve processes and address local climate-related hazards. At the same time, we empower our customers by giving them the tools and information they need to stay safe during times of disaster,” said Bermundo.
