As per gov't, Globe to charge additional Php5 for 911 calls » YugaTech

As per gov’t, Globe to charge additional Php5 for 911 calls

Globe Telecom Inc. has just said today, July 27, that they will be charging an additional of Php5 per call on top of regular voice charges for their subscribers calling the 911 hotline. This is in compliance with government’s request in order to make it a deterrent against prank calls.

Update: Additional statement from Atty. Froilan Castelo

On government policy for 911 and 8888: Globe will comply

Globe Telecom is ready to comply with the government directive to provide access to 911 and 8888 numbers for government emergency hotline and complaint hotline. All services will be for voice services only beginning August 1.

Globe has long used the 8888 number as its own customer hotline. However, the company will give way to the government request and will instead change to a new hotline number for its more than 57 million customers. The government allowed the company 30-45 days to transition to a new hotline which can be accessed by SMS and voice. Globe customers will be advised of its new hotline appropriately.

The government wants both 911 and 8888 to be executed similar to the 177 hotline maintaining a status quo where only the number changed.

Globe clarifies that it will be strictly complying with the directives of the government of implementing the hotlines to the public. This includes whether calls to 911 and 8888 will be free of charge or not.

—Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe General Counsel.

Original post:

globe Php5-2

“We would also like to inform our customers that those calling the hotlines will incur regular voice charges plus an additional P5/call for those calling the 911 hotline” – Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo

In a statement given to GMA News, Castelo noted that charging 911 calls is suggested by the government to discourage prank calls. Apparently, previous experience with emergency hotlines resulted to 98% of the calls are fake and only after the charges were added that instances of pranks calls significantly dropped.

The 911 hotline is set to replace the Patrol 117 starting August 1 as the Philippines’ national emergency hotline for incidents like police assistance, fires, medical, calamities, and other emergencies.

Updated: PLDT to also charge for 911

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Source

Heland Ortega

This article was written by Heland Ortega, Junior Contributor of YugaTech. He is a graduate of Information Technology and Multimedia Arts at FEU Institute of Technology in where he is also now working as a full-time faculty. You can follow him at @helandortega.

http://www.yugatech.com

60 Comments

John Nieurzyla says:

9 years ago

Wow isn’t that a surprise, Globe makes the adjustment, and then charges over the limit for doing a government order, always out to make a profit, this is dirty money making profit, not a public moral service. And what happens in an emergency and the caller has no load?? They will not accept the call? just like the majority of the doctors, just out for the profit. Really disgusting and immoral.
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Slash says:

9 years ago

Remind ko lang:
1. Globe is a business. It is not a government agency. You can’t expect them to give these services for free.
2. If you read the article, it was THE GOVERNMENT who suggested the additional 5 peso charge to avoid prank calls.

So direct your concern to the government, not to Globe. Iksi na nga lang ng article e na misunderstood mo pa.

Junpit says:

9 years ago

Dapat nyan makakatawag pa rin sa 911 kahit walang load at e charge nlng yung amount na dapat kung magpapaload ulit – pra sa mga prepaid users. Kc d nmn yung mga may load at postpaid users lang ang magkaka emergency.
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Welsh says:

9 years ago

To discourage pranksters….. Does that mean if the emergency is true and valid there will be no chargers?!?!
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Armada says:

9 years ago

You’ll still be charged, apparently. Isn’t it great? Both the government and Globe just gave you a ready-made excuse to do nothing if happen across an emergency.

Justin says:

9 years ago

Free for valid emergency cases dapat and i charge kung prank calls. Kapal ng mukha ng globe na mag addtl charge pa ng 5pesos mga mukhang pera amf.
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Josiah Felix Quising says:

9 years ago

How about read the article? It was the GOVERNMENT that suggested the additional 5PHP.

alros says:

9 years ago

walang problema may charge ang problema kung may charge ba ang medical services nila?
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Teks says:

9 years ago

So, pag may emergency ka at wala kang load sorry ka na lang at mamatay ka na dahil sa 5 pesos? Diba parang mali yung concept na yun na pati matter of life & death eh pagkakakitaan pa din ng Globe?

Tama ba naman yun? Pag-multahin nila yun prank calls pero hindi dapat singilin yung legit na emergencies…
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Jaoie says:

9 years ago

I don’t think that the government will allow this kasi bakit dito sa davao free naman ang calls to 911. Why can’t globe do the same nationwide. And knowing PDuterte, he is pro-masa. He wants it to be accessible and available to everyone.

namye007 says:

9 years ago

Hindi naman malaking halaga yan kung gusto nila kumita. May point din naman sila. Sana lang pwede credit pag walang load.
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shimekops says:

9 years ago

Oh Mr. President siiiiiir, someone’s making a mockery of your presidential order.
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Slash says:

9 years ago

It was the government who suggested the 5 peso charge. It’s clearly written in the article
Jaoie says:

9 years ago

I am 100% sure President Duterte will not allow this. Hello! 911 in davao is free for how many years now. Its accessible and available to everyone..which is the sole purpose of having 911. If you listen and knew how PDuterte thinks alam mo na na di nya papayagan to.

Kinain ng Sistema says:

9 years ago

natawa na lang ako bigla ito lang yung 911 na may bayad orayt
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Des says:

9 years ago

actually ung 911 lang sa davao ang emergency service na walang bayad.. 911 in US is not free

WC says:

9 years ago

911 should be accessible even without load. They can charge the 5 pesos (if it can indeed discourage pranksters) the next time you load. And the Php 5 should go to government coffers not the telcos, they earned enough.
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