With the onset of natural calamities which often cause disruption of basic services, leading telecommunications provider Globe Telecom is implementing measures to ensure the delivery of on-time and efficient communication services regardless of any catastrophe.
One of the initiatives of Globe is the ongoing network transformation wherein advanced equipment are being continuously deployed not only for faster and better network but also to withstand natural disasters.
“Globe is committed to continuously improve its capabilities to help reduce the probability, shorten the period, and limit the impact of any disruption. The company’s business continuity management policy prioritizes the safety of the people and the continuity of operations of critical resources that support the delivery of key products and services,” said Edgar C. Hapa, Globe Enterprise Business Continuity Director.
Globe Telecom’s network preparedness and resilience plan was shared by Hapa to members of the GSM Association during the two-day Disaster Response Programme Workshop in Legazpi, Albay held to emphasize the crucial role communications play in times of disaster.
The event brings together mobile network operators from the Philippines as well as the United Nations office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (Philippines), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) and other partners.
The workshop aims “to build capacity, create a community of practice within the operator community and publish best practices and case studies that can be used as resources for improved planning.”
While nothing can provide absolute guarantee that a severely disruptive event will no longer occur, Globe is strongly committed to provide reasonable assurance to its stakeholders that it is ready to respond to and recover from any incident, including those not anticipated.
Thus, the company is implementing suitable risk reduction and response measures against the common and high-impacting man-made and natural threats such as typhoons, flooding, fire, earthquake, pandemic flu, acts of terrorism, crashing of hardware and software systems, among others.
Emergency response team members are, likewise, on hand to respond to emergencies with the goal of saving lives and preventing any further damage to assets. On the other hand, existing network and IT recovery plans aim for quick recovery of its mission-critical services and operations.
Aside from network and IT service continuity and ensuring employee safety, Globe also takes care of the communities. “Globe Telecom’s disaster management preparedness is not just confined to taking care of itself. We are the country’s partner in nation-building during peaceful times and we are also a partner in rebuilding the nation in times of calamities,” Hapa said.
The best proof of Globe Telecom’s disaster preparedness can be seen in the field as Globe Bridging Communities mobilizes employee volunteers together with partner organization to provide assistance to calamity victims through relief operations, free call and text services, and donations. This even elicited praise from President Aquino when he visited the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) relief packing operations during the onslaught of Habagat two years ago where about 200 Globe employees volunteered their time and effort.
Globe BridgeCom has also partnered with Simbahang Lingkod Bayan (SLB) and Metro Weather on the use of information and communications technology tools for disaster readiness.
SLB is a Church-based, Jesuit-led organization which initiated the E-Ugnay Disaster Management System. Through next-level convergence of mobile and internet capabilities in consolidating information from all over the country, Globe and SLB are able to allow on-ground personnel to act immediately whenever calamities strike.
Meanwhile, Metro Weather is an online weather project in Metro Manila, Rizal and Corregidor designed to provide free and near real-time weather data necessary to help people prepare for typhoons, heavy rains, and severe flooding.
Globe is the first telecommunications firm in the Philippines to have been certified as company-wide compliant with an international standard for business continuity, proving that the organization is more than capable to proactively plan, prevent and navigate through difficult periods.
The certification also serves as a pledge of excellence and commitment that necessary steps have been taken to make sure that the organization survives through disruptions and maintains a business as usual motion.
