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| (Image Source: PLDT) |
PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) have been working closely with local government units across the country to provide communications support to their respective COVID-19 vaccination drives. To date, PLDT and Smart have supported the rollout of vaccines in over 100 LGU vaccination sites in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao by providing free internet connectivity to their frontliners via the Smart Bro Pocket WiFi, Prepaid Home WiFi or a fiber connection powered by PLDT. Smart has also been providing communications support to COVID-19 frontliners by giving them SIM cards with prepaid load.
This initiative has helped vaccine rollouts even in far-flung areas particularly in registration efforts. For instance, Cebu City Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Ibones emphasized the need to bring the vaccines closer to residents in far-flung communities to address vaccine hesitancy, as well as the difficulties the residents have encountered in signing up for their schedules and in traveling to the city and back for their jabs. One of the encoders from Cebu City's Vaccination Operations Center also shared that Smart's availability in the mountain villages helped fast-track the pre-vaccination process. “Connectivity is normally a challenge in the mountain barangays, but Smart’s coverage has reached long distances. We were able to accommodate a lot of residents who wanted to get vaccinated,” said Ashley Ramirez.
Smart and various local government units also launched Project Hotline which provides a smartphone kit, prepaid load and a dedicated number for the LGU for emergency response and citizen concerns. Since the project's inception last year, Smart has been teaming up with around 350 villages, municipalities, cities and provincial local government units for the continuing nationwide initiative which empowers LGUs with a direct channel to communicate with their constituents. On the other hand, Smart Infocast has also been helping more than 300 LGUs, villages and national government agencies ramp up their efforts to respond to emergencies, calamities and the COVID-19 pandemic. Smart's web-based text broadcasting solution that enables LGUs and other organizations to easily distribute information is available in Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, Batanes, La Union, Isabela, Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Kalinga, Aurora, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Bataan, Rizal, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sr, Masbate, Sorsogon, Batangas, Marinduque, Albay, Laguna, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro, Quezon, Cavite, Cebu, Antique, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Iloilo, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Surigao del Norte, Tawi-Tawi, Davao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Cotabato, South Cotabato and Basilan among others.
