Disaster preparedness campaign launched

MANILA, Philippines - Eveready, the leading battery brand, in partnership with the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRO), launched recently a disaster-preparedness campaign dubbed “Maging Pamilya Ready With Eveready.”  With a kick off at the Baseco Compound, the campaign will go around various barangays all over the country this year.

The barangay tour is aimed at helping residents of various communities around the country be more disaster-ready in the face of natural calamities like typhoons, earthquakes and fires and to better prepare their respective communities for these incidents.

“Since our office is the lead agency during disaster situations, this partnership comes at an opportune time,” said Honeyleen Montano-Mabaet, MDRRO chief administrator. 

Mabaet also introduced the MDRRO’s new program called Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), in which communities will form a group of volunteers who will act as first responders in the event of a disaster. Residents of the Baseco Compound who registered were each given raffle tickets and a free emergency kit containing a mini flashlight, batteries and a mini bag, while 15 residents won gift packs from Eveready.

“We are very pleased to be a part of this noteworthy partnership since we are advocates of disaster preparedness,” said Cara Tecson, Energizer Philippines  marketing manager. “The important thing is to be ready and to know what to do. This will help minimize the impact of calamities to communities most at risk.”

Larry German, Eveready representative, shared some valuable survival tips for residents during calamities such as having a fire extinguisher on hand at all times, and preparing a survival kit that contains essential items like clothes, dry foods (biscuits and noodles), medicine, a transistor radio, water, batteries and a flashlight.  He also reiterated the importance of listening to the radio for updates from local officials.

“Being prepared is the most important thing during calamity situations. We should not be complacent because our lives and those of our family are at stake,” said Jojo Emata, Eveready brand manager.

Visits to Quezon City and Batangas in June have been scheduled as part of the tour, which aims to call on many other barangays all over the country in the next few months.