Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation makes Education Accessible to Grassroots Communities with 100th ALS Center

REBUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION. Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation (CLFI) supports the rehabilitation of Marawi by providing learning tools and devices in Amai Pakpak Central Elementary School (APCES) for its alternative learning sessions. In the photo: (L-R) Fatime Mognie, Chief of the Curriculum Implementation Division; Anna Zenaida Unte-Alonto, OIC of Schools Division Superintendent;  Amai Pakpak Central Elementary School teachers and ALS educators.

Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI), the social responsibility arm of Cebuana Lhuillier, the largest micro financial service provider in the country, celebrated the launching of its 100th Alternative Learning System-Community Learning Center (ALS-CLC) at Amai Pakpak Elementary School in Marawi City.

The 2017-armed conflict caused massive destruction that displaced a great majority of Marawi city’s population. As the local community leaders work towards rebuilding the lives of affected individuals and families, CLFI extended assistance to Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office of Marawi to foster recovery and learning continuity amid present conditions. CLFI donated ICT equipment and supplies for the ALS teachers in Amai Pakpak Central Elementary School.

“As part of its inclusion advocacy, CLFI is always committed to provide accessible quality education for all, especially for the underserved Filipinos. To significantly help the rehabilitation efforts of Marawi, we focused our efforts on education—ensuring that children and adult learners have access to basic education,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

To fully equip the newly established ALS-CLC in Marawi City, CLFI donated learning tools and devices, including laptops, printers, LED TV, Wi-Fi routers, and load cards -- which will further enable ALS teachers to facilitate online and modular learning sessions for 400 registered ALS learners.

OIC of Schools Division Superintendent, Anna Zenaida Unte-Alonto, receives the learning tools donated by Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation Inc.

 

“The entirety of the city schools division of Marawi would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our great partner, Cebuana Lhuillier. All these will help our educators and learners to adapt to the new system of education under the new normal,” OIC Schools Division Superintendent, Anna Zenaida Unte-Alonto said.

Driven by its advocacy to make education accessible, CLFI has always been a staunch supporter of DepEd’s ALS program. Since 2013, CLFI has been supporting ALS community learning centers to give out-of-school youth and adult learners a second chance at education.

“The 100^th ALS-CLC sponsored by the Foundation is a testament to our firm belief that all Filipinos should have access to quality education. We are elated to see how the company’s advocacy for education can uplift both young and adult learners and help improve their lives,” First Vice President and Group Head for CLFI, Jonathan Batangan said.

Why Disaster Preparedness Should be Part of Your Plan

The Philippines has long been considered calamity-prone and vulnerable to disasters. In fact, it placed third among all the highest-risk countries worldwide, according to the World Risk Report of 2018.

A big contributor is the country’s geographical location and make-up. As an archipelago, the Philippines is composed of many small islands and is surrounded by water. It is also located within the Typhoon belt and the “Ring of Fire” and between the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates. Thus, natural occurrences such as typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are almost always a disaster waiting to happen - literally.

Just recently, the Visayas and Mindanao regions suffered from the devastating effects of Typhoon Odette. Taal Volcano’s last eruption was only in 2020, and it affected more than 736,000 people. Filipinos constantly experience a barrage of natural disasters, and yet, a study from the Harvard

Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) in 2018 shows that 47.5% of all the respondents said they have not done anything to prepare themselves for a disaster within the past five years, and only 36% feel prepared enough.

November 2013. Tacloban, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan, known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, was one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record.

Still, there seems to be hope in encouraging Filipinos to start prioritizing their safety and investing in disaster preparedness. In the same Harvard study,4 many of the respondents said if they had enough funds and resources, they would definitely be willing to prepare ahead. This shows that, in spite of it all, Filipinos do want to be ready.

So, what can we as individuals do to make sure that we are well-equipped when the next typhoon, earthquake, or volcanic eruption hits? The first step is to know your location well. Is it prone to flooding? How far away is it from the nearest volcano? Is it close to a fault line? All this information can be found with just a click of a button, thanks to digitalized documentation efforts led by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). (Link: https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/gisweb-hazard-maps) 

Once you have assessed your location’s vulnerabilities, now you can actively prepare yourself and your home for any incoming calamities. Check your house for any damages, and if it is made from materials that can withstand ground movement or strong winds. Keep a Go Bag with emergency resources accessible, both in your homes and places of work. 

SM Lanang Premier in Davao has a rain water catchment tank with a capacity of 600 cubic meters

Finally, make it a habit to listen to the radio and the news for any updates, and monitor your local government unit’s social media for any announcements. Familiarize yourself with as many routes as you can to your nearest evacuation center. Schools, barangay courts, and even malls like SM Supermalls often open their doors to receive evacuees in times of crisis.

   

SM DRR Facilities: (Left) Automated Weather Stations: SM Prime Holdings, Inc. has inked a partnership with the Manila Observatory for the “High Definition Clean Energy, Climate, and Weather Forecasts for the Philippines” Project, a data-driven system that utilizes automated weather stations (AWS) and high-performance computer modeling to provide clean energy and weather forecasts up to five days in advance. (Right) SM has also installed Earthquake Recording Instrumentations (ERI) on all malls for earth movement real time monitoring being recorded in an ERI dashboard.

SM, as a responsible member of the community, has taken disaster resilience as a necessary investment to help ensure that our communities thrive. SM allots 10% of its capital expenditures to incorporate disaster-resilient features, of which installing water management design features is one of them. By ensuring that its investments, employees, tenants and partners are resilient, no Filipino will be left behind.

“It is simply not a matter of if, but when,” said Hans T. Sy, Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Holdings. “We already know that there will always be another typhoon, another earthquake, another natural calamity. Our best bet to avoid personal losses and damages is to be ready for when it comes.” 

SM Marikina stands tall above a 23-meter Marikina River water lever rise because it sits on 246 stilts and an additional 20 meters farther than the suggested 90-meter distance from the Marikina River centerline. 

Some of SM’s notable resilient infrastructure is SM City Marikina and SM Mall of Asia, designed to help mitigate the effect of flooding in the community. Most SM malls feature disaster-resilient designs including SM City Puerto Princesa in Palawan wherein the mall es elevated approximately 1.40 meters from the City Road, thus preventing it to be flooded from the heavy rain throughout the year. SM City Consolacion in Cebu has an adequately designed draining system discharging to adjacent creek and area surface drain along the perimeter walls.

SM Seaside City Cebu 

SM Seaside City Cebu's protection against storm surges is provided by elevating the site above mean sea level, thereby allowing the mall to be a place of refuge during times of flooding. The complex road was constructed 4.0m (not 3.0m) higher than the city road. Instead of flood barrier walls as a solution to the threat of flooding, the building's main floor was also elevated at 4.0m (not 4.5m) from the complex roads. The first level was designed to be a parking area with a 4.0m elevation difference from the main floor.

“We often ask ourselves – how else can we make it better for the people? We don’t want to just simply build malls, but more importantly, we make sure that our developments improve the lives of the community by adding disaster-resilient features to help mitigate the potential effects of disasters,” Sy added. 

ABOUT SM PRIME HOLDINGS

SM Prime, one of the leading integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, remains committed to its role as a catalyst for economic growth, delivering innovative and sustainable lifestyle cities, thereby enriching the quality of life of millions of people. Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience form part of SM Prime’s core business strategies. It ensures that its risk-informed investments catalyze sustainable development and positive change in the communities where it operates.

 

For more information on SM Prime Holdings and its other programs towards disaster preparedness, visit their website at www.smprime.com.

Singlife Philippines gets 4.6/5 stars from Trustpilot

Manila, Philippines – As a newcomer in the longstanding insurance industry in the Philippines, Singlife Philippines enlisted itself in Trustpilot to build trust and provide proof on how the company delivers on its promises to its customers. 

Trustpilot is an online review community that connects businesses and consumers through genuine feedback from customers about their buying and service experiences. Through the platform, consumers can give reviews without censorship and companies are able to respond to reviews given by their customers in real-time. 

Singlife has received a TrustScore of 4.6/5 stars, far above the life insurance average category of 3.8 stars. 

Transparency and accountability 

To live up to its mission to help customers protect themselves and secure their financial future on their own terms, Singlife proactively notifies both newly signed up and existing customers who have claimed against their policies to provide reviews on this platform so that potential new customers are able to see firsthand, feedback from actual customers of the Company. 

Topics that drove the Excellent rating of Singlife Philippines include ease of support from customer service, and fast and easy claims process– a concrete proof that despite being a challenger in the category, Singlife has made a mark in the industry. 

“Feedback is very important to Singlife Philippines. We know the importance of listening in to understand how we can further improve our services,” said Rien Hermans, CEO of Singlife Philippines.

A reliable partner

In the middle of a global public health crisis that has left many Filipinos scrambling for public health benefits and coverage, Singlife Philippines remained relentless in its service to its customers.

The company has paid out over 3,500 claims to its customers in these difficult times. These claims include test and confinement allowances, and medical reimbursements – a lifeline for a lot of its customers.

“Trust means fulfilling our commitments to our customers– to provide them with their money when they need it most. During the pandemic, we made sure to live up to our promise by making sure the reimbursements and allowances for medical bills are paid out at the soonest time possible. The Trustpilot reviews show that we were able to do just that – to pay out claims fast and make it hassle-free, and a few areas where we can do better,” Hermans added. 

Singlife Philippines remains steadfast in its commitment to make insurance more accessible and convenient for every Juan (and Maria). The Company uses mobile-first technology to improve customers’ experience in buying, managing their policies and, you can even claim through your mobile phone. The Company continues to develop more products that give people money when they need it: when faced with income loss, with high medical bills, and when saving up to reach their dreams and aspirations.  Singlife offers a better way to plan, save, and protect.

To see Singlife’s TrustPilot reviews, visit https://www.trustpilot.com/review/singlife.com.ph?page=2

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ABOUT SINGLIFE PHILIPPINES 

Singlife Philippines is a mobile-first savings and protection company with headquarters in Singapore, Asia’s technology hub. 

A start-up in the long-standing insurance industry, Singlife Philippines provides a better way to plan, save and protect the financial future for every Juan (and Maria).  Through technology, we provide insight, guidance, and fulfillment on your mobile and support you with financial solutions that fit your financial needs and budget.  We help you to ensure there is money when it’s needed: for everyday emergencies, loss of income, to pay for high medical expenses, or to fund future spending for education, retirement or any other wish that can be fulfilled with money. 

Singlife Philippines secured its license to operate from the country’s Insurance Commission in February 2020 and sealed a partnership with the country’s leading e-wallet Gcash in May 2020. 

To learn more about Singlife Philippines visit www.singlife.com.ph.