Balikatan soldiers are texters too

When American soldiers arrived early this year to join the Balikatan exercises, they were expected to train their Filipino counterparts in the use of the latest military technologies. But they also learned a thing or two from Filipinos. One of them is "texting" with GSM mobile phones.

"It’s the greatest invention since sliced bread! It‘s a really great way to connect with people," quipped Maj. Cynthia Teramae, public affairs officer of Joint Task Force 510.

While text messaging is available in the United States, Teramae said she became an avid texter only when she was assigned to the Philippines where over 12 million cellphone users generate over 100 million messages daily.

For the US military spokeswoman, it all started when she was issued a cellular phone to coordinate with her counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Teramae noticed that she was receiving more text messages than calls.

Things took a dramatic twist when she held her first press conference which was attended by about 100 media people. One of the reporters asked her if she knew how to "text."

"I promptly reported that I was very slow at it, but would try it out. The reporter then asked for my cellphone number and I gave it out. At the time, there must have been more than 100 reporters at the press conference," she said.

"But what I didn’t know was that one TV station was airing the press conference live! I received hundreds of text messages day and night over the next few days from people all over the Philippines who texted me with messages to wish us well. I tried to answer as many as I could to thank them for their kindness. Since I was away from home, it really made me feel welcomed. It was a memorable experience," she added.

Other US soldiers did not have to go through such a drastic learning experience. Many had eager tutors.

Loi Quinday, who heads Smart’s Wireless Center in Zamboanga City, recounted how she ended up giving an impromptu session on the ABCs of text messaging to American soldiers when she went to Basilan one hot day in April.

When she made the 15-minute boat trip to the island to inform the mayor and the governor that Smart has set up a cellsite in the area, little did she know that she’d end up giving lessons too. But it was a "chore" she was glad to do.

"The opportunity was there, so why not? At first they said text messaging is a hassle. They would rather call. But they soon got fascinated with it. They were also attracted to the games, ring tones and the logos," said Quinday.

Teramae said she had fun personalizing the ring tone, screen saver and logo of her cellular phone. She said the personalized ring tone is a great help especially when they are in a crowded room so one need not look at his or her cellphone every time somebody else’s mobile phone rings.

"I use text messaging in my day-to-day business of connecting with the media here. I use it all day long. It is a convenient way to ‘talk’ to people or to answer a quick question, some of which come from my family all the way from Hawaii," she said.

"I also use text messaging to connect with my family back home in Hawaii. Even my daughter, who just turned seven, is able to text me messages," added Teramae.

Did they leave the text habit behind?

"Not many of our friends (in the United States) use text messaging. I returned to my home in Hawaii in April after a stay of three months in Zamboanga, where I used text messaging daily. I started using the text messaging feature of my cellphone when I went home and it’s a time saver for me and my family. We are still using text today. We really enjoy the flexibility," she said.