Sun-powered MyPhone handsets boost emergency communications in Cordilleras

MANILA, Philippines - Sun-powered MyPhone handsets have been turned over to the Office of Civil Defense-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) for use of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) team to fortify rescue and relief operations in the region.

“The MyPhone My112 SOS Phone is a handy tool in times of emergency and disasters. Recognizing that reliable communications is an important component of disaster response, PLDT and MyPhone have collaborated to make these handsets available to the DRRM team of CAR,” said Ariel Fermin, PLDT executive vice president and head of consumer business.

The MyPhone My112 SOS Phone, a durable handset for simple connectivity needs, is packed with features that come in handy during emergency and disaster situations. It has a dedicated SOS button that triggers a siren sound so the user can sound off a signal in times of danger or when in need of rescue. It has a flashlight and its 6000 mAh battery can double as a Powerbank, a useful feature in case of power failure. It also glows in the dark and is water- and shock-resistant – perfect for challenging conditions during disasters.

Each MyPhone My112 SOS handset will come bundled with a Sun Prepaid SIM and three months worth of CTU 450 load from Sun. CTU450 is packed with unlimited calls to Sun, Smart & Talk n Text, unlimited all-net texts, Facebook, Nonstop chat, Spinnr and P50 regular load, valid for 30 days.

 OCD-CAR will be distributing the handsets to remote areas in the region, heads of response teams in Baguio, and other DRRM offices.

 OCD-CAR has also been getting support from PLDT through Smart Communications (Smart) via the Smart Infocast, an emergency communications solution that allows the office to send warning, advisories, preparedness and safety tips via SMS to 3,000 DRRM officers and residents in the region for free.

 “Smart Infocast is a big help in spreading vital information to the public in the fastest way possible. This increases their level of awareness and urges them to smartly prepare for incoming disasters. If you look at our data on the casualties, there’s a huge decrease in the number,” said OCD-CAR regional director Andrew Alex Uy.

“Before, people had to listen to the radio for warnings and advisories but now, everyone receives the information through text messages. Even the local balut vendor receives them,” he shared.

Currently, all six provinces in CAR are connected via Smart Infocast, which was launched in the region last 2012.

OCD has been intensifying its Regional Early Warning System, reiterating that preparedness from the government down to the grassroots level is the key to achieving disaster risk reduction.

Sun is the mobile brand of Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of PLDT.