A RESOLUTION mandating telecommunications companies to extend to their subscribers free short messaging and call services during times of extreme danger, crisis, disaster, calamity, and national or local emergency, has been filed in the House of Representatives.

The still-unnumbered resolution said the telcos, as part of their corporate social responsibility, should extend these services as those free text messages  and calls could save lives, minimize dangers, and lead to better evacuation and relief operations during disasters.

The resolution, sponsored by Liberal Party Rep. Winston Castelo of Quezon City, noted that the country’s vulnerability to an assortment of uncontrollable disasters, “brings death and injuries to thousands of people, massive destruction to crops, property, and immeasurable and untold misery to the people.”

 It also said the government has limited resources and funds to meet and mitigate natural and man-made disasters, which include typhoons, heavy rainfalls, landslides, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, lahar flows, extensive drought, epidemics, pandemics and mass pollution, among others.

The resolution said the services of telecommunications firms are extremely vital during these times and that the free short messaging and call services “would go a long way” to mitigate the adverse effects of these occurrences.   

“These telecommunications firms have to return a portion of their earning to the communities they have been serving” in the form of free text and call services during emergency situations,” Castelo stressed.

Castelo added he is proposing the extension of free text and call services during crisis situations for practical purposes, because “wireless service subscribers, especially those in remote areas, have difficulties, albeit limited means, time, and opportunity, to purchase loads.”