Private sector unites to help disaster areas

MANILA, Philippines - Some of the Philippines’ largest business groups have come together to help rebuild disaster-affected areas of the country through the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF) with the launch of several projects.

“The PDRF tries to promote solidarity in the business sector as it works with the national and local government for the shared vision of building a strong, resilient and disaster-ready Philippines,” says PDRF co-chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“With PDRF, we hope to build a first-class organization of the private sector engaged in sustainable and long-term commitments for disaster management,” says PDRF co-chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

Among the various private sector commitments is the tie-up among IT company Hewlett Packard, wireless telco Smart Communications and the Makati Medical Foundation for the deployment of P5 million worth of e-Health center facilities. These units operate via cloud-based IT and data sharing systems to broaden the reach of medical support and modernize healthcare programs for Yolanda-stricken communities in Leyte.

To address the need for quality transitional housing facilities, PDRF has partnered with Operation Compassion for transitional housing and with Filipino-American entrepreneur Vonz Santos for the building of communities using the innovative housing technology of the “butterfly house,” which is easy to put up and take down while still made of sturdy material.

For preparedness and coordination, PDRF has also entered into a joint venture with the Canadian Emergency and Risk Management Inc. (CERM) to train employees of private companies along with officials of cities and barangays in disaster and emergency response training at CERM’s Bataan facility. Global IT leader IBM will be stepping in to provide PDRF with a cloud-based system worth $800,000 for disaster response collaboration and is hosting a disaster resiliency workshop this month for corporate foundations and non-profits.

PDRF is also working with global management consulting firm Accenture to further refine its own organizational structure and develop a sustainable roadmap for its continued services as a developmental firm.

For more information on the programs and activities of the PDRF, visit www.pdrf.org.