PLDT, Smart to charge for 911, 8888 hotlines; unless gov't says no. » YugaTech

PLDT, Smart to charge for 911, 8888 hotlines; unless gov’t says no.

Just like Globe’s earlier announcement about charging for 911 calls, PLDT/Smart has also made a statement regarding charging calls to 911 emergency hotline and the 8888 complaint hotline.

However, PLDT is open to make it free if the government asks them to do so.

“If the government will instruct us to make it free, no problem,” Ramon Isberto, head of PLDT/Smart Public Affairs, told the Philippines News Agency in an interview.

For the meantime, calls will be charged based on regular rates, and depending on airtime usage if one will use in mobile phones, according to Isberto.

This is contrary to Globe’s earlier statement that it was the government who asked them to place a toll fee on 911 calls to avoid prank calls.

Isberto explained that receiving prank calls is the main problem in having a hotline number, and providing free access to a hotline actually contributes to the increasing prank calls.

“People think it’s about the money,” Mon Isberto added.

Isberto shared that when the country had the hotline 117, the access was provided for free in both landlines and mobile. However, around 95 – 97% of calls were merely prank calls.

source: PNA.gov.ph

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

8 Comments

xp says:

8 years ago

Kaya naman palang maging libre ang emergency call pero ayaw nilang ibigay dahil hindi naman pinag uutos ng gobyerno. Kaya walang mapagpilian na telcos na may malasakit sa mamamayan ng pilipinas at negosyo lang talaga interes. Pilipino ba may ari ng smart at globe?
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binoy says:

8 years ago

Gumawa ng batas na magpaparusa ng mahabang pagkakulong at danyos perwisyo ang sino mang mahuhuli na tumatawag ng hindi makatotohanan. Walang saysay ang hotline kung ang karamihan ay mag-aatubiling tumawag dahil sa gastos. Malaking bagay yan sa mga naka prepaid at walang load.
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art-Hour says:

8 years ago

mas magandang may bayad para hindi congested ang lines, kasi pag free di natin maiiwasan ang prank calls, i work for a local csr account at napakaraming nangti-trip lang, at habang dahil nka prepaid tayo. hindi rin mai-trace ang prank calls.
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thevibrantg says:

8 years ago

greedy bastards. here is great example of prank call
https://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/a-woman-called-911-and-pretended-to-order-a-pizza-to-alert-t
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Igniculus says:

8 years ago

Make it FREE and put a penalty.
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CharlieVee says:

6 years ago

Make it free. Help should be FREE. Now, for prank calls, try to limit a call from a certain number. Example, same number has been calling for 10x or more. That number should be banned from the next 24 hours or so.
Think!
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Dada says:

6 years ago

Or minimal charge lang sana para namn matulungan ang need ng tulong?
- Reply