Virac, Catanduanes Barangays Receive Disaster Resilience Support from PLDT, Smart, PDRF

Year after year, Catanduanes in the Bicol Region stands on the frontlines of the fiercest storms. Known as the "Land of the Howling Winds," the island province lies directly along the western Pacific typhoon belt, making it one of the first areas in the Philippines to bear the brunt of powerful typhoons, torrential rains, and storm surges.

Recognizing the urgent need to strengthen disaster preparedness in one of the country's most disaster-prone provinces, PLDT, Smart, and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), through Australian Aid-funded Project REACHED (Resilient Emergency Communications for Enhanced Disaster Response) recently marked July as the National Disaster Resilience Month by turning over Ligtas Kits to three vulnerable barangays in Virac, Catanduanes, Barangays Balite, Simamla, and Talisoy, strengthening the disaster preparedness capability of the municipality.

The PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit is a portable, all-in-one emergency communication and power package that includes a power station, solar panel, smartphone, crank radio, pocket WiFi, emergency lights, FM radio, and charging accessories, essential tools for maintaining communication and power during critical situations.

PDRF Center Director Arnel Capili said that the kits build on earlier deployments in Virac, extending the support to barangays previously outside the scope of Project REACHED. “Building the disaster resilience and capacity of these Virac barangays reflects the combined efforts of the PDRF, PLDT and Smart, the Office of Civil Defense, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the World Food Programme, and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through Project REACHED.”

Virac Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer II Josephine Benavidez said that the selected barangays have limited mobile coverage, making coordination during emergencies challenging. “With the PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit, we will now be able to monitor the condition of the residents even prior to our team physically being in the area,” according to Benavidez.

Barangay Balite Kagawad Alexander Borja said that the kit fills a longstanding gap in the barangay's disaster response capacity, which previously relied on a single, small generator during power interruptions common in the coastal area. He said the megaphone and power station will be particularly useful for coordinating evacuations along the coastline.

Virac Mayor Hon. Sinforoso M. Sarmiento, Jr. acknowledged that the assistance addresses a real need in the municipality, given limited local government resources that are often prioritized for basic needs. He also said that the barangays selected have consistently performed well in the delivery of local public service, giving assurance that the equipment will be properly maintained and used.

The turnover, held at the Virac Municipal Hall, was attended by Mayor Sarmiento, PDRF Center Director Capili, and PLDT and Smart FVP and head of Public Engagement Roby Alampay, who said that “it's about making sure that we can still help each other, especially when we can't communicate with each other. This is part of our mission to work hand-in-hand with partners, particularly LGUs. Local governments know their communities best, and our partnership with them is central to how we deliver disaster resilience programs.”

The Virac turnover forms part of a broader effort under Project REACHED to strengthen emergency communication and response capabilities in disaster-prone communities nationwide. PLDT and Smart continue to work with partners like the PDRF under the #KonektedForResilience advocacy, promoting disaster resilience before, during, and after emergencies.

Project Ugnayan Beneficiaries Reach Over 7.6 Million People in Greater Metro Manila Poor Communities

Project Ugnayan, the fund-raising initiative led by top business groups in cooperation with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), reached over 7.6 million people in the vulnerable communities of Greater Metro Manila.

“As we close, we wish to reiterate our wholehearted thanks to all our generous Donors for making this project possible. By coming together in a Bayanihan spirit so quickly, we were able to create a program of this scale and importance. This unprecedented assembly of so many of the country’s corporations and business families coming to the assistance of the most vulnerable in our society illustrates and speaks of the heart and generosity of the business community.

Our special thanks go to the 10 Bishops of the Dioceses in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna, as well as to Caritas Manila under the leadership of Father Anton Pascual, and the network of Parish Priests, Volunteers, and Barangay Captains who distributed the gift certificates door-todoor in the lowest-income communities of Greater Metro Manila. We appreciate the swiftness and efficiency of their work under very difficult conditions and over very long hours each day,” said Project Ugnayan Lead, Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

"We are grateful for this opportunity to be part of this business community effort to help people in a time of crisis. This is a movement we should nurture as we prepare to let people return to work and to re-start our economy in the post-quarantine period.” said PDRF Co-Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

“The unity in diversity demonstrated by Project Ugnayan reveals the private sector’s serious commitment to help our country recover from the lost economic momentum because of the pandemic. We are proud to be part of this extraordinary collaboration of industries which will prove most valuable in getting the economy back on track,” PDRF Co-Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

According to Father Anton CT Pascual, Executive Director of Caritas Manila, the initiative earned praises from Archdiocese of Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo, San Pablo Bishop Buenaventura Famadico and other Prelates of the Suffragan Dioceses of Manila. The Prelates thanked the businessmen and private organization who collectively help to make Project Ugnayan possible.

“The true spirit of Easter is about hope and has special significance in these difficult times. We thank all the generous benefactors of Project Ugnayan for this opportunity to fulfill a great mission of compassion for our vulnerable brothers and sisters. Your gifts have warmed their hearts and uplifted their spirits,” Father Pascual said.

Caritas Manila’s Project Damayan, the project’s main distributor of emergency cash through P1,000
supermarket gift certificates has so far reached 1,070,854 families or 5,354,270 people. It is on
target to deliver gift certificates to 1,366,495 families or 6,832,475 people by Wednesday, April 15
(the original end-date of the Enhanced Community Quarantine).

ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pagibig has reached 238,854 families or 1,194,270 people through food
packs delivered through Local Government Units. They will reach a total of 631,921 families or
3,151,605 people by the end of their program.

ADB and the Government’s Bayan, Bayanihan has delivered food packages to 13,370 families or 66,850 people through the Philippine Army and DSWD. ADB has provided funding to reach 80,000 families or a total of 400,000 people.

Jollibee’s FoodAID program delivers ready-to-cook chicken to low-income families from its commissary through a network composed of Don Bosco, Caritas Manila, and the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid (SNPP). So far, they have delivered to 199,491 families or 977,455 people. They are targeting to reach 500,000 families or 2,500,000 people by end-April.

“In sum, Project Ugnayan and its Partners have reached 1,522,569 families or 7,612,845 people in just over three weeks. This number will rise as all deliveries have already been programmed by the partners,” said Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

The donors of Project Ugnayan are (in alphabetical order): Aboitiz Group, ABSCBN/First Gen, Alaska Milk Corporation, Alliance Global Group & Megaworld, AY Foundation & RCBC, Ayala Corporation. Bench/Suyen Corp, Bonifacio West Devt Corp. Carmelray Group, Cathay Land, Inc, Cebuana Lhullier, Century Pacific, Coca Cola Philippines, Concepcion Industrial, Consuelo "Chito" Madrigal Foundation, Inc., Daiichi Properties, DMCI Group of Companies, Dowell Container and Packaging Corporation, Far Eastern University, First Life Financial Company, Focus Global, Inc., Global Food Group, Glorious Commercial Exports, Inc., Gokongwei Group of Companies/Robinsons Retail Holdings, ICTSI, JAKA Group 1, Jollibee, J.P. Morgan, Kawit Prime Holdings, Inc., Leonio Group, Mercury Drug Corporation, Metrobank, Mumuso Group, National Grid Corp of the Philippines, New World Hotel, Nutri-Asia, Oishi/Liwayway Marketing Group, One Meralco Foundation, Penshoppe, People R People, PepsiCo/PepsiCo Foundation, Philippine Racing Club, Inc, PLDT/Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Puregold, Ramon S. Ang & Family, RRK/Lee Jeans, Shang Properties Inc, SM/BDO, Sta. Elena Construction, Sugar Junction Inc.. Sunlife of Canada, Super Prime Holdings, Inc, Supreme Steel Pipe Corp, The Alpha Suites Inc., Unilab, and Wilcon Depot.

APEC Cooperation and Public-Private Partnership Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

3 April 2020 – The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) has called for APEC leadership and cooperation to fight the challenges to health and economies posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Saving lives is obviously what matters most right now,” said ABAC Chair Dato Rohana Tan Sri Mahmood. “That demands collaboration across the region on the knowledge and the tools we need to combat the health impacts and mitigate the most severe consequences in the short term, she added.

The Council has written to APEC Trade and Foreign Ministers to ensure free flow of essential goods and tools critical to address the health emergency, including medical equipment, medicines and basic items such as disinfectants and personal protective equipment. Specifically, economies should facilitate trade by simplifying and expediting border procedures, and relaxing the rules for ease of movement of essential workers and medical professionals across borders where they are most needed.

Dato Rohana however, stressed the need to lay the groundwork for rapid economic recovery when the worst of the impact of COVID-19 begins to wane. “This is rapidly becoming a financial and economic crisis too,” she added. “The impact on workers, businesses and supply chains are already severe. We are especially concerned about small business, the self-employed and those in the informal economy, who are ill-equipped to withstand these impacts,” said the ABAC Chair.

ABAC also called on APEC economies to make the fullest possible use of digital technologies and connectivity, and work together effectively across economies and enable a level of economic activity to continue. “There is no precedent for the global shutdown we are now experiencing and no guidebook to assist us as we recover,” said Dato Rohana, “so it is critical that APEC economies work collaboratively to address the immediate challenges and to plan for reopening of our borders as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the Philippines expeditiously passed the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act,” laying the government’s policy and emergency measures to address the COVID-19 situation in the Philippines. This include allocating budget and resources to facilitate testing by public and private health institutions, directing establishments to serve as quarantine areas, relief distribution centers, and providing expanded subsidies to low-income households.

ABAC Philippines welcomes the collective response from the government and other stakeholders in addressing the COVID-19 situation in the country. Member Guillermo Luz notes how the private sector responds and complements the current COVID-19 measures. Companies have adopted work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements, and provided financial and relief assistance to their workers. Utility companies and banking institutions have offered reprieve from late payments while ensuring continued services to their clients. Malls have likewise given rental holiday for their tenants during the mandatory closure period.

“While COVID-19 has critically disrupted business operations across the country, this situation has shown that Philippine businesses are ready to step up and find ways to mitigate the impact especially for entrepreneurs and ordinary workers,” Mr. Luz said. He cited the joint initiative of the private-sector led Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and religious organization Caritas Manila called Project Ugnayan, which provides unconditional emergency cash transfers to the poorest of the poor in Greater Metro Manila area. According to Mr. Luz who is also PDRF’s chief resilience officer, “In times of crisis, Filipinos always rise to the occasion to help fellow Filipinos (and non-Filipinos) in need.” Ugnayan aims to feed 1 to 1.5 million families with P1,000 per family in the form of gift certificates or grocery vouchers which are redeemable in supermarkets.

For ABAC Philippines Chair Tomas Alcantara, “It is important to have an efficient and concerted strategy by the public and private sector to address urgent health emergencies, on the one hand, and immediate and longer-term social and economic recovery, on the other.” “Our preparations for the worst includes being able to quickly bounce back from the COVID-19 situation, so we can nurture a healthy Filipino population and rebuild a competitive Philippines again,” he added.