Among the many things people normally take for granted is the ability of almost anyone to “load” their mobile phones with data. A short trip to the nearest sari-sari store or Autoload Max (AMAX) retailer will easily solve this need. You can also ask a friend or a family member for “share a load” in case a sari-sari store or loading station is not available.
This is the dilemma now being experienced by Mabel Aquino who is based in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Since the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was extended all over Luzon, the once accessible and abundant loading venues have all but disappeared.
“Dati po lahat ng tindahan sa may amin pwede ka magpaload o kaya itetext ko lang kay Ate Mona, may share a load na po ako, ngayon po pahirapan magpaload. Wala rin mga call card na mabili,” Aquino says. (“Before every store in our neighborhood is capable of loading or I can just text a friend for her to share a load with me. Now it is very difficult to find a share a load or even buy a call card.”)
Globe assures Aquino and the rest of its prepaid customers for both Globe and TM that the company is doing everything to keep its Share-a-Load services open and enough AMAX availability in sari-sari stores, supermarkets and loading stations all over the country despite the challenges, like travel restrictions, brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are doing our best to ensure that our prepaid customers can count on our AMAX stations to be operational in these difficult times. We know the importance of having a reliable source of load to communities hit hard by the quarantine. They also need to stay connected with their loved ones and be informed on the latest government measures against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bernie Llamzon, EVP-channel management head of Globe Telecom, said.
Globe has already received the authorized ID cards from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) that allow its territory partners and field sales teams to move and enter the different provinces and municipalities under the ECQ to ensure the smooth operations of its AMAX retailers and bring products and load cards too.
Some provinces and municipalities have their own set of quarantine protocols that are not necessarily in accordance with what the national government had set. Having the IATF ID will greatly help Globe territory partners to move faster and quicker.
For Aquino, the sooner the Globe territory partners arrive in her town, the better it will be for her and her community. “Malaking bagay po yan sa amin. Lalo na po wala naman nakalinya sa amin dito,” she said. (It is a big help for us here because we don’t a postpaid line.”)
Aside from sari-sari stores, Puregold, 7-11 and other AMAX retailers, prepaid Globe and TM customers can also buy load and register to promos through GCash, Shopee, Lazada and Coins.ph. Regular load is also available on BPI, BDO and PSBank mobile apps. Customers can also avail their favorite promos using the GlobeOne app, Globe at Home app, TM app and Globe online shop.