Operations team on field work today
The Globe Telecom network operations team has initiated service restoration process in areas affected by Typhoon Ruby and will be going out for field work starting today (December 8, 2014).
Typhoon Ruby (International name ‘Hagupit’) packing winds of some 195 kph but moving at a slow 15 kph entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on December 4, 2014 slammed into Dolores town in Samar at nearly 10 pm on December 6, 2014.
As of 12 pm of December 7, service interruptions have been monitored in some areas in the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte and Western Samar. By 2 pm, December 7, the team has began assessment of the typhoon’s impact on network infrastructure as weather remains unfavorable for field personnel to do actual field work.
The company’s operations team in Visayas is ready to address network concerns brought by Typhoon Ruby, weather permitting, Senior Vice-President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto said.
“The safety of our employees is our main priority at any given time. Needless to say, the company is ready to execute service restoration as soon as weather permits. We’re hoping to undertake actual field work by tomorrow (Monday),” Crisanto said.
The telecommunications provider said initial assessment indicates there are no major outages caused by Typhoon Ruby, which made landfall in Eastern Samar Saturday night. Service disruptions were due mostly to power outages and misalignment of antennas following strong winds brought by the typhoon, she said.
As part of its preparation to cushion the impact of Typhoon Ruby, the mobile operator has prepositioned critical tools, spares and equipment to expedite recovery process. To minimize significant damage to network infrastructure, Globe also implemented preemptive measures that include temporary service interruption of mobile coverage in Eastern Samar. Full restoration may be completed within a 48-hour period after recovery efforts are initiated.
Metro Manila braces for Ruby
At this writing, Metro Manila and surrounding areas have been placed under Public Storm Warning Signal number 2.
The latest advisory of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) issued at 5am December 8, 2014 said Typhoon Ruby is expected to hit its third landfall at 6-8 pm in Northern Mindoro. The typhoon, which has reduced in strength, is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday December 11, 2014.
Because of Typhoon Ruby and the northeast monsoon, sea conditions will remain from rough to very rough in Luzon and Visayas seaboards as well as the northen Mindanao seaboard.
Rebook flights
Meanwhile, AirAsia communications head Jenny Bugarin-Tan said affected guests may rebook their flights with no additional charges and based on seat availability within 30 days from their original departure and for limited travel period until 17th December 2014 or from 5 January 2015 onwards; avail of 90-day credit shell or get a full refund.
“We will provide updates as soon as they are available. Please stay tuned. Guests will also receive SMS and E-mail notifications based on the contact information on their booking,” she said.
For more information and assistance, guests may call our hotline: (02) 742 – 2742, from Mondays – Sundays at 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM, or get instant reply through our Live Chat at http://www.airasia.com/ph/en/live-chat.page or submit an E-Form at http://www.airasia.com/ph/en/e-form.page.
Keep updated with AirAsia’s latest announcements via Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsiaPH) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines).
