MANILA, Philippines - Mobile leader Smart Communications has taken its role in disaster risk reduction management to heart, prepositioning communications support for the use of local government units for emergency response efforts as well as emergency communications for affected populations so they can reconnect with their loved ones.
Over the years, Smart has been actively working with local government units to build the capacities of high-risk communities to prepare for, manage, and bounce back from disasters.
The Office of Civil Defense-Cordillera Administrative Region fittingly presented Smart the “Advocate for DRRM” award under the private category. OCD-CAR has been getting support from Smart via the Smart Infocast, a web-based emergency communications solution that allows them to send warning, advisories, preparedness and safety tips via SMS to 3,000 DRRM officers and residents in the region for free.
“It’s a big help in spreading vital information to the public. If you look at our data on the casualties, there’s a huge decrease in the number,” said OCD-CAR regional director Andrew Alex Uy.
At present, Infocast has more than 800 users and two million subscribers, connecting CAR along with various other provinces as well as government agencies.
Smart has also given its full support to the OCD national office in its effort to institutionalize disaster communication protocols.
Early last year, OCD held the first-ever regional disaster communications conferences, dubbed as ICT Bayanihan, and Smart is the first telco partner of OCD in co-organizing these regional meetings.
Apart from co-organizing the summits, Smart also developed the Batingaw app for OCD last year. The app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play Store and Apple App Store, is a handy resource and reporting tool for nationwide disaster management.
Likewise, Smart has been consistent in providing free calls and charging services to communities affected by disasters. During Yolanda, Smart’s satellite services connected Tacloban and other affected areas to the rest of the world.
In addition, Smart also runs nationwide disaster preparedness caravan to help build the capacities of families in handling emergencies and disasters in their own homes.
Smart as an organization has embraced preparedness, and has been aggressively promoting the culture of preparedness to its partner organizations under its #SafePH program.
To know more about Smart’s preparedness initiatives, visit www.smart.com.ph/SafePH.