Just after the devastating effects of typhoon Yolanda cut Tacloban off, Globe immediately picked up the slack and put up a cell site in the area to restore critical communications. The temporary site, located near Hotel Alejandro, along Paterno St., in Tacloban helped provide much-needed communications to the many families and rescuers in the area. According to many reports from social media and various news outlets, it is apparent that the city was among the hardest-hit in all of the Philippines.
Globe said that restoration efforts are being accelerated in the Visayas region with the assistance of government units like the Phil. Air Force and the Phil. Navy who lent assistance in providing transport requirements for heavy network equipment that are being airlifted or shipped to critical sites including Tacloban. Almost 30 sites from Calbayog, Samar to Northern Samar have also been brought back online, bringing 30% the total 471 affected sites back and ready to handle traffic.
Along with the efforts to bring the cell sites back to life, Libreng Tawag stations have also been set up in Iloilo at the following areas: 1) OWWA Office 3F Robinson Mall; 2) Western Visayas Cyberlink Inc. HUB Shoppers Avenue; 3) Globe Telecom JM Basa St. Iloilo. Globe has also put up free charging stations in areas currently disconnected from the grid.