Globe Group presented its climate resiliency initiatives at the GSMA Mobile 360 Asia Pacific conference (APAC) in Seoul, South Korea, demonstrating its significant role in disaster mitigation and emergency response in times of crises in the Philippines.
Speaking in a panel discussion on the role of the mobile industry in climate resiliency, Globe Senior Manager for Regional Communications Rofil Sheldon Magto shared that the company has implemented programs that are equipped to handle the increased risk of typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions in the country.
It has deployed an early warning system and monitoring mechanism in partnership with many agencies. It launched the G-Climate platform with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2021 to improve business resilience by accessing analytics and weather data.
For disaster recovery, Globe has installed booths that offer free mobile and internet access in calamity-struck zones. Its donation platforms are used for collecting funds for immediate relief. It has also provided local government units with Mobile 360 platforms to help them access free 30-day text blast services for relief operations.
To combat disinformation that often fuels panic on social media during calamities, the company has offered free access to verified government websites with information on emergencies.
Its cell sites and data centers were also built to withstand Category 5 typhoons, using hybrid solar generations as backup power.
“The Globe Group understands that technology plays a vital role in mitigating the impacts of disasters. However, we also acknowledge that we cannot do it alone and addressing these challenges requires a combination of innovation, governance, and strong multi-stakeholder partnerships,” said Magto.
He emphasized the essence of public-private partnerships for creating "robust disaster risk management practices and "pooling resources, expertise, and experience."
"This collaboration helps facilitate immediate access to information and enable swift response to affected communities, as outlined by the principles of the Humanitarian Connectivity Charter,” added Magto.
The GSMA M360 APAC in Seoul gathered mobile industry leaders and stakeholders to discuss sustainable digital technologies.
Kimberly Brown, Head of the GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme, said mobile operators like Globe are "instrumental in disseminating life-saving early warnings, [being at] the forefront of leveraging emerging technologies, such as responsible AI by design, to improve how societies prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters,”
Globe is a member of the GSMA, a global group of 1,000 mobile operators and businesses.