Homeowners empowered by Smart's Infoboard

MANILA, Philippines - From important issues on the safety and security programs within the village, to reminders for renewal of car stickers, information important to homeowners is now more readily available and easily relayed via a Web-based communication service provided by Smart Communications Inc.

Smart’s Infoboard continues to benefit more and more homeowners associations (HOAs) across Metro Manila. The Web and SMS-based information dissemination and feedback gathering platform allows HOAs to send text message announcements to their members on a wide range of topics such as water interruption schedules, parish activities and emergency advisories.

For residents of these gated communities, the Infoboard enables them to receive the announcements real-time and for free as well as report safety-related concerns to their HOA anytime even when away from home using their mobile phones.

At the first Homeowners Association Conference held recently by Smart at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel in Quezon City with the theme “Shaping communities for the Future,” members from different HOAs shared their positive experiences with Infoboard.

Among the attendees were representatives from two new HOAs that have availed themselves of the Smart Infoboard — Town and Country Executive Village Homeowners Association Inc. (TCEV HOA) in Antipolo City, and Loyola Grand Villas Homeowners Association Inc. (LGV HOA) in Quezon City.

Happy with hi-tech announcements

“We officially started using the Infoboard in September this year. I have been getting good feedback about it. Our homeowners are happy with the “hi-tech” announcements and the speed at which they are able to receive the announcements immediately prior to parties, club house activities, village bazaars and other events would take place,” says Elvira Topacio of TCEV HOA.

Prior to subscribing to the Smart Infoboard, printed memoranda and circulars as well as a once-a-year newsletter titled Village Voice were the TCEV HOA’s typical media of information dissemination. The problem with this method, said Topacio, is that not all homeowners would receive a copy.

“Most of the time, they are out of the house. They don’t get the newsletters or the verbal messages we leave with the maid. Now, they can receive information on their phone anywhere they are,” Topacio said.

This, she added, has resulted in increased participation, since sending feedback and comments can now be easily relayed to the association via SMS. Within only two months of subscribing to the Infoboard, more than 100 of their homeowners are now subscribed out of the total 1,400 comprising about three phases of TCEV.

Going paperless with Infoboard

Ponchie Santos, village manager of Loyola Grand Villas Homeowners Association in Quezon City, actively promotes subscribing to the Infoboard as one way to achieve a paperless manner of communication.

“Our association is promoting environmental awareness; so as much as possible, we want to go paperless,” shared Santos. “Since I’m an environmentalist, I don’t like using papers when it comes to circulars. Now, every time we need to put a circular out, we use the Infoboard and I’d get positive feedback from our homeowners. Some would comment, ‘How many trees did we save today?’”

He also considers Smart’s close collaboration with their association as an added benefit. “The good thing about Smart is that they check on us around three to four times a month. Every time we’d have activities, they would ask, ‘How can we help you?’ which is why I actively encourage non-subscribers in this village to avail themselves of the Infoboard.”

Out of Loyola Grand Villas’ 850 residents, almost 100 of them are already subscribed to the Web-based tool within only a month since the HOA signed up with Smart.

Aid in disaster preparedness

 Smart Infoboard’s huge potential was made all the more evident during the first Smart Homeowners Association Conference when no less than Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), and Hilda Cleofe, executive director of the Corporate Network for Disaster Response, discussed practical disaster preparedness and management solutions. 

Smart has been working with the government agency in strengthening the disaster response capability of communities in high-risk areas with the help of its Infoboard service.

At the conference, professional asset management and protection practitioner and consultant Rhea Yamsuan also spoke about property and asset management, while Raul Manalo of Megaforce spoke to the attendees about handling security concerns of residential communities. 

For more information on Smart’s Infoboard, e-mail at [email protected].