PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) are sending at least 1,300 relief packs to flooded communities in Batangas, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro.
“PLDT and Smart are constantly working with the government and other like-minded organizations to assist communities in times of crisis. We are ready to send help to areas that have borne the brunt of the recent lashing of the southwest monsoon,” said Catherine Yap-Yang, Group Head and First Vice President of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.
PLDT and Smart will turn over around 500 relief packs including rice sourced from Smart’s ‘Buy Local’ program to affected barangays in the towns of Lian, Calatagan, Nasugbu and Tuy in the western portion of Batangas. They will also send around 500 food packs to affected communities in the municipalities of Santa Cruz, Mamburao, Sablayan and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro. Around 275 relief goods will also be sent to distressed families in Barangay Arangin in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro who had to be evacuated after the Bagto Bucayao river overflowed due to torrential rains.
Rains brought by the southwest monsoon or #Habagat battered much of Luzon and Western Visayas the past week. State-weather bureau PAGASA said that the five-day downpour has exceeded half of July’s average rainfall. The deluge has inundated parts of Luzon with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) saying that more than 17,000 families have been evacuated because of flooding. The NDRRMC also reported that the week-long downpour has caused more than Php 100 million worth of damage to agriculture.
PLDT and Smart personnel, as well as critical equipment and key resources, remain on standby ready to be deployed in areas of concern. Meanwhile, network services have remained resilient in the face of adverse weather conditions. However, minor interruptions may have been experienced in flooded areas due to prolonged commercial power interruptions.
These efforts to extend aid are part of PLDT and Smart’s #SafeandSmart advocacy, which promotes preparedness and immediate response through network resilience, continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions and activities, and relief assistance to help communities mitigate disaster risks. These also underscore the commitment of PLDT and Smart to helping the Philippines attain the UNSDGs, particularly UNSDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
