PLDT, Smart, PDRF, bolster LGU resilience in VisMin

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With the Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin) area getting its fair share of calamities, disaster resilience has become one of the top priorities of local government units. The Philippines’ largest integrated telco PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), bring Project Ligtas to calamity-prone communities in VisMin, to reinforce efforts by the government, through technology and communications support.

In VisMin, 11 disaster response teams have each received one PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit, an all-in-one emergency communications package, that comes with a workshop to fully equip responders.

Project Ligtas is part of the #SafeandSmart advocacy of the PLDT Group, which promotes preparedness and immediate response through continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions, and activities to help mitigate risks. Each Ligtas Kit contains a power station, solar panel, rechargeable handy megaphone, crank radio, rechargeable flashlight, satellite phone, Smart LTE pocket Wi-Fi with initial load, smartphone, and whistles.

In the Visayas, the municipalities of Madridejos, Bantayan, and Santa Fe in Cebu Province, Siquijor Province, and Ormoc City are thankful to PLDT and Smart for the Ligtas Kits. “As a disaster-prone city, it is one of our priorities to improve our resilience during calamities, and this kit is a helpful tool to make that happen,” said Ciriaco Tolibao, II, Head of Ormoc City Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Office.

The Group also provided Ligtas kits to communities affected by Super Typhoon Odette, including the Province of Surigao del Norte, and the municipalities of Pilar and Dapa. “The Ligtas Kit is a great aid to the DRRM Office. We can now quickly respond to any emergencies and communicate with our responders on the ground. We’re grateful to PLDT and Smart for the programs they extended to Siargao Island,” said Genevie Sumaylo, a responder from Pilar DRRMO.

Cagayan de Oro City, Tagum City, and Datu Odin Sinsuat in Mindanao are also among the LGUs that are now better equipped to continue responding to the communities they serve.

PLDT and Smart also enable various organizations’ emergency warnings through Smart Infocast, a web-based text-broadcasting solution that enables LGUs to easily broadcast messages within their communities more efficiently. These initiatives form part of PLDT and Smart’s commitment to achieve the UNSDGs, particularly SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.