A Ground-breaking Collaboration between PLDT Enterprise and Smart and People in Need Strengthens the Readiness for Disasters in Mindanao | #BenchPaylaBlog

 

Forming a crucial partnership: PLDT Enterprise, Smart Communications Inc., and People in Need leaders unite to launch a ground-breaking collaboration that aims to strengthen Mindanao's resilience to disasters. They set out on a mission to use technology to create a more sustainable and safe future together. Photo (L-R): Zcyrill Ryan B. Agac-ac, PLDT Enterprise's Northern Mindanao Relationship Manager; Alfred Mark Rosete, People in Need's Early Warning Systems (EWS) Program Manager; Roberto W. Suzon, Business Head, Corporate Relationship Business Head for Northern Mindanao; and Judee Caroline D. Chaves, Mindanao Relations Head at Smart Communications, Inc.

The B2B division of PLDT Enterprise, the largest telco in the Philippines, and PLDT's wireless arm, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), have announced their latest partnership with the international humanitarian organization People in Need (PIN) to advance disaster resilience and sustainable development in the country. Through this relationship, we hope to better prepare for and respond to disasters in Mindanao by utilizing cutting-edge technology, with a particular emphasis on the Strengthening Resilience Through Early Action and Impact Mitigation (STREAM) Project.

The STREAM Project intends to transform early warning systems and local impact forecasting in 12 municipalities throughout the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Maguindanao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur in Mindanao. It is supported by the UK government through the UK International Development and funded by the GSMA Innovation Fund for Anticipatory Humanitarian Action. The innovative Smart Internet of Things (IoT) SIM and Smart Messaging Suite from PLDT and Smart would be beneficial for these locations, which have been recognized as high-risk for flooding.

Roberto W. Suzon, Head of PLDT Enterprise Corporate Relationship Business for Northern Mindanao, emphasized the importance of this partnership: "Our partnership with People in Need is a commitment to safeguarding communities and providing them with the necessary tools to mitigate the impact of natural calamities; it goes beyond just being a technological endeavor." Through the utilization of PLDT's dependable fiber network and Smart's innovative solutions, we are establishing a new benchmark for preparedness and resilience against disasters.

To provide precise forecasts, the Smart IoT SIMs will be crucial in remotely monitoring water levels in flood-prone areas and ensuring prompt data transmission to PIN's servers. In the meantime, the Smart Messaging Suite will be essential in providing vulnerable populations with evacuation alerts and critical information, increasing their ability to effectively respond to impending dangers.

"With the support of PLDT Enterprise and Smart, we are poised to make a significant impact on the lives of those in the most at-risk communities in Mindanao," said Alfred Mark Rosete, Program Manager for People in Need's Early Warning Systems (EWS) initiative. Our vision of a world where innovation and technology work hand in hand with humanitarian efforts to create a safer, more resilient future for everyone is embodied in the STREAM Project.

Furthermore, as part of its campaign for disaster resilience, Smart recently collaborated with PIN at the Humanitarian Connectivity Charter (HCC) Asia-Pacific seminars organized by GSMA and attended by ASEAN delegates in Clark, Pampanga. When Smart was introduced in 2015, it was one of the first operators globally to embrace the HCC's tenets. The HCC is a cooperatively developed set of best practices and guidelines for mobile network operators (MNOs) on how to anticipate, address, and recover from sudden-onset emergencies.

These initiatives support the PLDT Group's long-standing #SafeandSmart advocacy, which encourages readiness and quick action using network resilience, constant communication service availability, mobile solutions and activities, and relief aid to assist communities in reducing the risk of disaster. The telco group underlines its commitment to a disaster-resilient Mindanao through programs like the PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit program, which has already outfitted ten provinces with complete emergency communications packages.

The partnership between PLDT Enterprise and Smart and PIN sets an example of how the business community and the humanitarian community can work together to address some of the most urgent issues of our time and help achieve UNSDG No. 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and UNSDG No. 13: Climate Action. Both companies are constantly pushing the boundaries of what technology can do to help with disaster resilience and climate action. PLDT Enterprise and Smart continue to incorporate climate risk management into their network architecture, operations, and customer solutions because they recognize that climate change is one of the biggest dangers facing the Philippines and the PLDT Group as a whole. The Group helps communities most at risk from the effects of climate change adapt and become more resilient by utilizing its cutting-edge technology and digital solutions.

"PLDT Enterprise is unwavering in its ambition to not only transform the corporate landscape but also to cultivate a community where progress and resilience coexist side by side. We are always pushing forward, collaborating with our partners to achieve this goal. Our dedication to using technology for the benefit of society is demonstrated by our collaboration with People in Need, which makes communities and businesses alike more connected, capable, and resilient. We strive to push the envelope in terms of creativity and teamwork with each step, making sure that every development we make benefits society and business alike. As a team, we strive for a day when every problem is handled with a clever, long-term solution, increasing our overall influence and pointing us in the direction of a better, more robust future," Suzon said. 

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-BENCH