Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines ordered to stay home after authorities cancelled classes for 2 days... avoid outdoor activities & drink plenty of water, but the young & the elderly were told to be especially careful.
#Cambodia this year is facing the highest temperatures in 170 years. #Thailand's Department of Disease Control said last week > 30 people have died from heat stroke, compared to 37 for all of last year.
To all Filipinos, and foreigners planning to live in the Philippines for quite some time, a fair warning: avoid getting a Globe SIM.
Here's why: if ever you lost your phone (theft, etc.) Globe Telecom Inc. will not immediately block your old SIM for the following reasons:
The SIM is STILL RINGING.
You cannot PERFECTLY answer ALL THREE verification questions, which were designed to ensure you'll fail it.
I just went to a Globe store to go through the process because their online agents were heartless and very rude. While the agent in the Globe store was very helpful, and exhausted all possible options, it still was not enough to trigger the “immediate old SIM block” step.
This is after providing the following:
Affidavit of Loss.
2 government issues IDs.
A selfie with me holding my government issued IDs.
Load amount prior to phone theft. (I even have a screenshot.)
Expiry date of the load prior to theft. (I even have a screenshot.)
That it is attached to a GCash account that is Tier-3 verified. (One GCash account per mobile number.)
I brought all the SIM beds I ever had for the same number. (I always kept the SIM bed whenever I get a new SIM issuance for the same number.)
Provided the numbers I often send SMS and the messages I sent to those numbers.
They also confirmed with me that whoever got my SIM, bought a Globe promo after it was stolen.
But, NO, absolutely nothing whatsoever can trigger the step: Block old SIM.
The only thing they did is escalate the case. However, it will take 3-5 business days to be processed.
They also informed me that it can be declined, too, even after proving my ownership of the SIM beyond any reasonable doubt.
So, yes, that's GLOBE TELECOM INC. for you.
AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS!
Get a SMART or DITO SIM instead.
I don't even know what to do next if it gets declined. Probably go to NTC, which means, I have to go through a hundred processes again, spend money I don't have to get this and that, and still no guarantee.
All I can do right now is continue removing that number from my accounts. Banks are done, already filed requests.
I'm already very tired. Sorry, but I really have to say this: #GlobeSucks.
"Human survivability at its absolute limit in #Asia currently: #Thailand, #Myanmar, #Cambodia, #Vietnam, and the #Philippines. All hit temperatures above 40°C, with some places experiencing an incredible life-threatening heat index of up to 52°C."#climate
They ask verification questions guaranteed to fail.
Their agents are heartless and rude.
They are above the Law of the land.
They don't care about their customers.
Here are the verification questions I was given:
> 1. Can you provide the exact date when your SIM was activated? Ex. March 2023.
>
> 2. What’s the last promo that you purchased before your phone was lost? When did you register it?
>
> 3. What was your remaining load balance before your phone was lost?
All three verification questions are guaranteed to fail.
#1: Can you honestly remember the exact date when your SIM was activated, especially if it has been with you for at least a decade?
#2: Can you honestly remember the last promo you purchased when you did not purchase any promo for the last 5 years?
For the third question, I provided the CORRECT answer, and I even submitted a screenshot taken on April 12th, very recent.
And yet, Globe Telecom Inc.'s agent replied with the following:
> We have to follow the process before we proceed with the deactivation.
> Unfortunately the details you have provided, do not match our record.
> Yes, the details you have provided do not match our records.
> We can only block the number if you were able to provide the correct details we need.
After this, their agent copy-pasted their spiel in a rush to close the chat conversation.
I've worked in the customer service field for 20 years, and I can tell you this is the worst agent and the worst process I've seen and experienced.
Verification questions guaranteed to fail.
Not exploring other avenues of verifications, that actually are logical to ask.
Totally heartless and rude.
A company process. In other words, this is how they were trained.
End the chat conversation as fast as you can.
To the agent, “I deeply apologise for disturbing your sleep and giving you some work to do.”
To Globe Telecom Inc., “Shame on you for having such a process, and yet you continue to claim awards for having the best service.”
The #jeepney is the backbone of the #Philippines’ transport system. The customised, privately-owned buses, which look like a cross between a Jeep and a van and are decorated in flamboyant colours, ply routes in neighbourhood streets and city centres, offering rides for as little as 13 pesos (23 US cents). #PUVMP
#HeatIndices have hit 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in various regions in the #Philippines, as the weather phenomenon #El Nino intensifies the heat enveloping the nation in its summer months of March to May. #BurningEarth
The #DepEd is just full of smartasses really, they thought that by moving classes in 2020 to August they can minimize the disruption in education brought by #COVID.
It did minimize it alright, but only for 2020 and 2021. Eventually we will have to return to face-to-face classes, which we did starting 2022 IIRC. Their hubris in keeping children in classes no matter what didn't make them think that we are a tropical country; that their foresight-less act means there will still be classes in April and May, the hottest months in this climate. They're now forced to move it back to June which they will have to do gradually. This brings more disruption as it means students will only get a one-month long vacation instead of the usual two, and the moving schedules mean planning school events far ahead become less certain.
Very cool DepEd. Truly the brightest and bestest of the country. :kokoro_yes: :reimu_sigh:
"Deliberately grounded on a tiny reef in the #SouthChinaSea, part of an island chain claimed by the two Asian countries, the #BRPSierraMadre is now the unlikely base for a detachment of Filipino marines who stand guard over the atoll, scanning the turquoise waters for Chinese ships." #AyunginShoal#SecondThomasShoal#Philippines
The #MobileRadar is the second unit of the four long-range surveillance radars from #Japan, three of them are fixed, ordered by the Department of National Defense under a P5.5-billion government-to-government deal.
#Beijing, based on the report, budgeted over $296 billion for its military in 2023, a 6% increase from its spending the year prior. The figure represents 12% of the world’s military expenditures and over 50% of the #Asia and #Oceania region.The figures are estimates of #SIPRI, as #China’s publicly declared military budget is much lower. #TootSEA#Philippines
Old article on the arrival of the first of 3 static radars from #Japan. We were wide open before then.
The #WallaceAirStation, a former US air base in #SanFernandoCity(#LaUnion), has been without any capability to detect intrusions since 2015 after it retired its #US-made air surveillance radars that had been in use since the 1950 - until now. #JFPS3ME
#MANILA, #Philippines – The China Coast Guard on Tuesday, April 30, used water cannons against two Philippine vessels in #BajoDeMasinloc (#ScarboroughShoal), a feature some 100 nautical miles off the coast off the coast Zambales.