Prior to the onslaught of the country's first typhoon this year and in preparation for the launch of its mobile community app for fisherfolks, Globe Telecom, Inc. distributed mobile phones to 93 fishermen in Sariaya, Quezon.
The Globe initiative was in support of the order of Quezon Province Governor Danilo Suarez for all disaster management teams to prepare for Typhoon Auring, which hit some parts of the country last month.
The mobile phones from the company were distributed by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region IV-A (BFAR IV-A), and the Municipal Agriculture Office in Sariaya, Quezon.
NFRDI Acting Executive Director Lilian Garcia and Provincial Fishery Officer Allan Castillo oversaw the turnover and registration on the community app of the fishermen from barangays Talaan Aplaya, Guis-guis Talon, Bignay 1 and 2, Castanas, San Roque, and Manggalang Kiling.
Globe has a partnership with the NFRDI, BFAR Region IV-A, and the local government of Sariaya in Quezon for the launch of ISDApp, a weather application developed by iNON IT Solutions and powered by Globe.
Through the app, fishermen gained access to useful weather information to plan their trips to the sea, even without a smartphone or internet connection before Typhoon Auring unleashed its fury.
The community app collects localized weather data, converts it into simplified weather forecasts, and sends it to the registered mobile numbers of fisherfolks via scheduled daily SMS that includes the crucial hours before they go out to sea.
In case of emergency, the app also allows fishermen to send an SOS message to the community lead. Both the registered emergency contact number and community lead will be informed immediately as long as there is a mobile signal.
After the app’s community launch in Sariaya, Quezon in January, 225 fishermen are already using ISDApp to receive daily weather updates.
The app aims to communicate the weather data and improve the fishermen's understanding of the environment they work in.
According to Arnold Carandang, community controller from Barangay Bignay 2, the timely weather notifications have helped them decrease the number of accidents during typhoon Auring.
“As a technology company, we want to ensure various sectors benefit from the use of new technologies. We are happy to make a difference in providing this largely unserved sector a new tool to make their livelihood safer for them,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.
Globe currently supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG No. 9 emphasizing the importance of fostering innovation and SDG No. 11 calling for the establishment of sustainable cities and communities.