Thousands of mobile phone subscribers sent text messages asking for help at the height of flashfloods that submerged their homes on September 26, 2009, when telephone and power lines were cut off in many parts of Luzon.  Although help came a day or two days later, and for many, did not come at all, flashflood victims were able to send SOS through SMS to radio and television stations and the hotlines of government agencies during the time they needed help the most.

"Despite damages on our equipment, we were getting anecdotal evidence that we had signals in calamity areas," said Mr. Ramon Isberto, spokesman of Smart Communications and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. or PLDT.

"Even in areas that were flooded, we were able to provide coverage. That's why people were able to send text," said Isberto. "I personally handled three cases and attended to their problems through my cell phone."

Radio station DZMM, which also broadcasts its programs on television, was swamped by "thousands" of text messages from people asking for help from their roofs.  Isberto said the density and design of the Smart network enabled the telecom firm to provide a means of communication to people when it is needed the most.

Despite the protests from several groups, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and its private sector partner Stradcom Corp. will proceed with the implementation of the radio frequency identification (RFID) project for vehicles this year.  "We are going to get the approval of the National Telecommunication Commission for the project," Mr. Vince Dizon, Stradcom vice president for public relations, said during a consultation with various transport groups at the main office of the LTO in Quezon City last week.

Before this, the NTC had threatened to confiscate the RFID units that the LTO plans to install on all vehicles in the country, saying these gadgets need to be approved by the government regulator.  The project involves the use of RFID tags or microchips that pick up and send signals as well as proximity readers that transmit signals to the tags.  LTO chief Arturo Lomibao said the project allows electronic verification of vehicle identity and data, which would enable the LTO to detect colorum and out of line  public utility vehicles.

Smart Communications has partnered with banks to offer various mobile banking services.  Recently, Smart launched with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) a new service that will allow bank clients who are also Smart subscribers to do a wide range of bank transactions through their mobile phones.  The product called BPI-Smart Full-Mobile Banking is a huge upgrade for BPI clients who are Smart subscribers since balance inquiry transaction was previously the only function that can be used through the key-based mobile banking facilities. Now, they cannot only balance inquiry but also do fund transfers, bill payments, Smart prepaid airtime reloading and Smart Money reloading.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said they see bright prospects for mobile commerce in the Philippines.  “As the country’s leading telco, we have adopted the fundamental strategy of providing relevant communication solutions and mobile security infrastructure to our partner banks. We are confident that this partnership with BPI, the country’s pioneer in electronic banking, will result in an expanded, more secure, and more convenient mobile banking experience for millions of Smart and BPI customers,” Nazareno said.

Thousands of people fled from their homes in low lying areas in Metro Manila, which suffered the heaviest rainfall in four decades on 26th September, as a result of typhoon Ondoy (international code name Ketsana) that crossed Luzon from the Pacific Ocean.  Metro Manila and 23 provinces in Luzon were declared under state of calamity.

The typhoon also left more than 140 casualties and dozens more missing, because of the flash floods and landslines triggered by the heavy rains, measuring 341 millimeters in a six-hour period, which authorities said was nearly equivalent to a one-month of rain that the country received in the past month.  This surpassed the previous record for Metro Manila in 1967, according to the weather bureau.

“We were able to break that record in a span of six hours. Today, we really experienced an extreme weather event," said Mr. Nathaniel Cruz, weather services bureau head of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).  He said this was a proof that the country was affected by climate change.

Flash floods occurred in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal, Quezon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas as a result of typhoon Ondoy. Water levels at La Mesa Dam and Ipo Dam climbed to critical levels.  Angat Dam reached spilling level.  Rivers swelled in Metro Manila and Bulacan.  Tullahan River, Tumana River, Pasig River, Marikina River and San Juan River rose to street levels, swamping homes and establishments.  Many flights were cancelled in Metro Manila.

Smart Communications has launched a new card that allows its subscribers to make calls to their relatives in the United States for only P2.50 per minute.  Hellow is described as the first reloadable international direct dialing (IDD) card which can be used on any Smart or Talk 'N Text mobile phone to make calls to 17 destinations.

While the calls to US, Canada, Guam and Hawaii cost only P2.50 per minute, calls to Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong cost P5. For calls to Japan, Australia, UK, Italy and Thailand, Hellow offers P8 per minute.  Calls to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates cost P10 per minute.  "Hellow rates vary depending on the rates of our partners.  Calls to the Middle East remain very expensive," Kathryn Carag, head of Smart's international services, said.

Ms. Carag said they expect about half a million Filipinos to start using Hellow reloadable IDD card in its first year.  It is estimated that around 8.73 million Filipinos live and work abroad, remitting about $16 billion this year.

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