• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Bacolod City Councilor Dindo Ramos is pushing for the urgent passage of a proposed ordinance that would mandate telecommunications companies to install generator sets at each of their cell sites.
Ramos stated that the loss of mobile signal and connectivity experienced during the power outage caused by Typhoon Tino serves as an example of why the ordinance must be approved immediately.
The proposed ordinance, which was authored by Ramos, was passed on second reading, and is now subjected to a committee hearing.
According to the councilor, the service disruption during the typhoon was not due to a lack of capacity, but because they failed to invest in their own backup power.
When the widespread blackout occurred, the signal from all major telcos was simultaneously lost.
“If they only relied on the Negros Power, then they also cannot provide a service,” Ramos said.
During a recent committee hearing, the DITO Telecommunity reported that 30 out of their 60 cell sites in the city are currently equipped with generator sets, while the Globe Telecom expressed its willingness to install generator sets at their respective cell sites.
Ramos expressed his frustration with the telcos’ failure to maintain service during the calamity and announced his intention to pass a separate resolution expressing the disappointment with the quality of service provided by the telcos during a disaster.*
