Catherine Balolang, 30, a licensed nurse and child development worker, was well aware of the kind of danger the approaching typhoon could bring to the mountainous region she calls home. News reports said “Ompong” (international name: “Mangkhut”) would barrel through northern Philippines, including Benguet province, where mining is one of the top industries.
Coming from a family of miners, residing in Ucab village in Itogon town, she has learned to live with her fears and prepare for the worst. The family’s survival kits packed, she joined fellow village volunteers in monitoring weather reports, such as through a group chat they created on Facebook Messenger.
Suddenly what seemed an interminable silence followed as “Ompong” intensified on Sept.15, toppling power and communication lines, and cutting off contact with folks in the mining sites.
As the worst of the typhoon passed, and mobile phone and data services were gradually restored, the village volunteers’ group chat became deluged with queries and calls for help, as well as grim reports no one wanted to hear.
The typhoon had triggered a landslide in Itogon. Among those trapped in a mining site was a cousin of Balolang, whose wife and children lived in Isabela, another typhoon-ravaged province.
She and her fellow volunteers converged near the landslide site, as the community organized rescue missions, ahead of the official operations by local authorities. Everyday thereafter, the volunteers went back to the site, not only to search for their missing loved ones but also to help in the operations in whatever way they could.
Telecommunications company Smart Communications immediately deployed portable generator sets to the barangay (village) hall for the use of rescuers. The barangay usually taps the company to send provisions for power whenever there’s outage due to calamities.
“The barangay rescuers need electricity to charge their searchlights, portable radios and power banks, which are important for retrieval operations. They also need to charge their phones, and be able to communicate with their families, as well as the local authorities,” said Vivien Prado, a Smart sales employee based in Baguio City, about 16 kilometers from Itogon.
Efforts soon shifted from rescue to retrieval as it became apparent that the chances of finding survivors in a landslide of that magnitude were slim. In the aftermath, 70 died and dozens were injured or went missing.
Like food, first aid, and relief goods, technology plays a crucial role in an emergency.
Upon Prado’s recommendation, Smart, with the support of Vodafone Foundation, set up free charging and Wi-Fi services in Ucab. The London-based foundation deployed their Instant Charge and Wi-Fi solutions at the barangay hall, the retrieval site, and the designated operations center for response, relief and evacuation for typhoon victims.
The ultra-portable Instant Wi-Fi solution, which provided robust and secure Wi-Fi to up to 1,500 users across an area of up 10,000 sq m. It also set up an Instant Charge station, which powered up to 32 phones simultaneously.
“After an earthquake or any humanitarian crisis we observed that, apart from food and water, what victims need is connectivity, to be able to inform their families that they are OK, to call, to not feel isolated,” said Ainhoa Montero de Espinosa, relationship and governance manager at Vodafone, who volunteered for this mission in Itogon.
“They also need to charge their phones, especially if they fled their homes,” said Harm Kanters, a technical solution architect at VodafoneZiggo Netherlands, another volunteer of the foundation.
In 2012 and 2013, Vodafone brought its ultra-portable Instant Network to Davao Oriental and Eastern Samar provinces, which were devastated by Typhoons “Pablo” (“Bopha”) and “Yolanda” (“Haiyan”), respectively. The solution provided affected residents with cellular coverage within 3- to 5-km radius, and enabled up to 80 calls and thousands of text messages sent at the same time.
“The Philippines experiences about 20 typhoons a year. So at Smart, we work hard to keep our network online and to restore services quickly in case of disruptions. At the same time, we also work with partners like Vodafone Foundation, so we develop good working ties with international organizations, which will be invaluable especially for large-scale disasters like earthquakes and super typhoons,” said Smart public affairs head Ramon R. Isberto.
“We need Wi-Fi to consolidate data on dead and missing persons, send reports, post updates, make records and send to headquarters immediately,” said Jasmine Bugtong, a police officer at the Cordillera Administrative Region, which has jurisdiction over Benguet.
Air operations officer Jomar Marcito, who was deployed at the designated operations center for typhoon response, relief and evacuation, also relied on mobile communications. “We need it for continuous communications, to check if there’s a need to augment air operations, or other activities that would need our attention,” he said.
For Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan there was no overstating the importance of having stable, secure communication in times of disasters. “We send reports to Manila and even abroad… we’re crippled without information,” he said.
The communication facilities at the operations center enabled Balolang to update her fellow volunteers on the progress of retrieval operations, and family members on the search for her cousin. Charity Lubiton, 17, whose uncle was trapped in the landslide, was finally able to contact her relatives. Both women lost their kin; and the bodies were retrieved after a week.
Ucab village chief Kennedy Waclin vowed to continue the search until all missing persons are found. “We need to give the dead a proper burial,” he said.
The retrieval operations halted on Sept. 30, two weeks after the devastating landslide.
For housewife Jill Landocan, 32, who lives in another part of Ucab that was hit by a landslide, her mobile phone was a life saver. She recalled texting her sister-in-law to leave their house quickly, and soon after the latter got her message, their kitchen ceiling fell. “If they didn’t get my message on time, they probably would have been trapped,” Landocan said.
The landslide in Itogon revived objections to small-scale mining operations. Balolang is not one to engage in debate.
“My father is a miner, his parents are also miners. This is the life we know, and the community we live in. Mining has given me the life and opportunities I have now, and I will always be grateful for it,” she said.