Heroes come in many forms, they say. And in times of crisis, they advance to the frontlines to serve and keep everyone safe.
The ongoing pandemic has certainly showed us the real heroes who selflessly fight and get the job done. One of those frontliners ensures that people can stay at home and stay connected with their loved ones; they make sure the thread remains unbroken. They are the electronic load retailers.
“Kami ang mga bayaning hindi niyo kilala pero handang mag-load at rumuta (We are the unsung heroes who continue to roam our delivery routes to provide load for everyone),” said an e-load retailer for Smart, Sun, and TNT subscribers.
Willie Capacite shared that it is not about hitting business targets anymore.
“During a meeting with our Cavite team, our battle cry was to keep on providing service not just to earn, but more importantly, to help our kababayans in their communication needs in these trying times,” he related
Team huddles are crucial, according to Anthony Estagle, because “the team is tired but everyone remains inspired to push forward.”
For distributor operations manager Mark Carrera, the mindset is to choose hope every single day.
“‘Laban lang hanggang dulo (Fight till the end!) We will always guarantee that our subscribers and retailers can rely on us to deliver load supply because communication is our top priority. We are also doing this so we can remind our partners and subscribers to stay safe,” enthused Carrera.
Recognizing that connectivity provides access to friends, family, and the outside world, an e-load retailer from Marinduque said, “Kasi sa panahon ngayon, walang ibang aasahan kundi ang bawa’t isa. Balikatan ika nga. Bilang ahente, ito ang kaya kong itulong to keep everyone connected. (These days, we only have each other to rely on. As a load reseller, this is my contribution.)”
He added, “We know that we provide the means to make virtual hugs and kisses possible. Knowing that we help make virtual high fives possible is what gets us going.”
Despite of the drive to serve, distributor Lester Castillo is aware of the risks. “Kahit walang kasiguraduhan ang magiging kalagayan ng kalusugan ko, ginagawa ko pa rin para sa mga retailers at subscribers. Alam natin na isa sa mga pangunahing pangangailangan nila ang load. (I am doing my job for our retailers and subscribers who need load and connectivity, which are part of today’s basic needs.)”
The government included telecommunications employees among those allowed to travel and pass through borders.
“For most of us, all we have is virtual thread to be together,” said Johnrey Villarosa of Negros Occidental.
Joemari Ortega of Negros Occidental summed up their sentiments:
“Communication plays a vital role today more than ever. As telecommunications employees, we continue to serve all our subscribers, particularly those who are not able to stay with their loved ones these trying times. As long as we serve, communicate, and remain smart, we can and we will survive this.”
