PLDT and Smart Kanlaon, Mayon, Taal Advisory

Submitted by rmcamongol on Thu, 06/08/2023 - 16:51

Advisory 05: PLDT, Smart assist Albay with Ligtas Kit amid continued Mayon unrest

[04 July 2023] PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) continue to assist the province of Albay through the unrest of Mayon Volcano now at alert level 3.

“With sustainable and inclusive technology, the PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit considers foremost the needs of everyone in the community, by providing equal access to resources for people who might be excluded, including people with disabilities. The Ligtas Kit enables communities to immediately access communication aid even during a disaster,” said Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.

In 2022, the PLDT Group turned over a Ligtas Kit to the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) to help the province prepare for and recover from disasters through communications technology.

The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit is an all-in-one communications package that provides quick, emergency communications support to communities in times of a disaster.

“We will utilize the communication equipment included in the Ligtas Kit in our risk mapping activities as we continue to assess the situation due to Mayon’s continuing volcanic movements. This will help us determine the next steps we need to take should the situation worsen. The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit can boost our ongoing preparedness and response initiatives,” said Dr. Cedric Daep, Head of APSEMO.

Each kit comes with the following equipment: power station, solar panel, rechargeable handy megaphone, crank radio, satellite phone (SAT), smart phone, Smart LTE pocket Wi-Fi, rechargeable flashlight, and whistle, which are packed in a protective hard case.

An emergency communications training was also provided to strengthen the capacity of communities in disaster resilience.

PLDT and Smart continue to monitor the situation in Albay and closely work with local governments and disaster response authorities in areas in danger to quickly respond with communication as aid and relief assistance should the need continue to arise.

The Ligtas Kit is part of PLDT and Smart’s #SafeandSmart advocacy campaign which promotes preparedness and immediate response through continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions and activities to help communities mitigate disaster risks. This is also aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal#11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Advisory 04: PLDT, Smart widen reach for #MayonPH relief in Albay

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc., joined by its social outreach arm PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) continue to distribute aid to Albayanons following the current unrest of Mayon Volcano.

With the help of PSF, PLDT Consumer Service Zone, and Smart sales teams, the Group was able to deliver 2,000 hygiene kits to families in need who are temporarily staying in evacuation centers due to the ongoing volcanic activities.

“PLDT and Smart successfully finished packing and distributing hygiene kits to families within the seven-kilometer danger zone who are currently evacuated for their safety. We thank our sales teams and volunteers in Albay for bringing much-needed assistance and reaching more affected residents faster,” said Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.

PLDT and Smart also continue to provide #LibrengTawag (free calls), #LibrengCharging (free charging), and #LibrengWiFi (free WiFi) services to residents and personnel, allowing them to communicate with their families and loved ones:

ALBAY

1. San Antonio Elementary School, in Brgy. San Antonio, Tabaco City

2. Anislag Elementary School, an evacuation center in Brgy. Anislag, Daraga

The PLDT Group continues to promote preparedness and immediate response through distribution of relief aid, continuous availability of communication services, and mobile solutions to help communities mitigate disaster risks. PLDT and Smart remain fully committed to helping people in need.

Advisory 03: PLDT, Smart begin relief distribution in Albay amid Mayon unrest

[15 June 2023] As of 8am, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have begun distributing relief assistance to communities affected by Mayon's volcanic activity.

“More help from PLDT and Smart in the form of communications as aid, hygiene kits, blankets, and mats will be provided to Albay evacuees who reside within Mayon's 7-kilometer danger zone in the coming days,” said Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.

100 hygiene kits, 100 blankets, and 100 mats were given to Tabaco City and Camalig, Albay. Volunteers and partners of PLDT and Smart are working round the clock to prepare additional relief assistance for turnover to more Albay communities in need.

“Thank you to PLDT and Smart for hygiene kits, blankets, and mats,” said Janet Nantes, one of the evacuees.

“On behalf of our local government, we express our gratitude to PLDT and Smart for providing help and assistance to our evacuees, which include children, elderly, lactating mothers, and residents with disabilities,” said Vice Mayor Ma. Ahrdail Baldo of Camalig, Albay.

PLDT and Smart also continue to provide Libreng Tawag (free calls), Libreng Charging (free charging), and Libreng WiFi (free WiFi) services to residents and personnel, allowing them to communicate with their families and loved ones.

ALBAY

1. San Antonio Elementary School, in Brgy. San Antonio, Tabaco City
2. Anislag Elementary School, an evacuation center in Brgy. Anislag, Daraga

The PLDT Group continues to work with local governments and disaster response authorities in areas in danger, to continuously provide communication and relief assistance amid Mayon's ongoing unrest.

PLDT and Smart urge everyone to take necessary precautions, including activating their emergency cell broadcast system (eCBS) on their mobile devices, and heed the alerts and warnings of local governments and disaster response authorities.

Advisory 02: PLDT, Smart begin setting up free call, free charging stations in Albay amid Mayon unrest

[13 June 2023] As of 8am, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications has begun operating #LibrengTawag, #LibrengCharging, and #LibrengWiFi stations for residents within the vicinity of Mayon Volcano as PHIVOLCS raises the Alert to Level 3 amid signs of eruption.

As of June 12, free calls, charging, and WiFi booths have been set up at several evacuation areas, now occupied by 600 families within the six kilometer danger zone. The booths aim to serve the communication needs of affected residents from the following areas:

1. San Jose Elementary School, Malilipot, Albay
2. Bariw National High School, Camalig, Albay
3. Daraga Evacuation Center, Daraga, Albay

"The services of PLDT and Smart remain stable and operational in the areas affected by the recent unrest at Mayon Volcano. We have already deployed mission-critical equipment and personnel within the vicinity even before the eruption to assure our customers of zero disruption in our services," said Cathy Yang, First Vice-President and Head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.

The PLDT Group continues to work with local governments and disaster response authorities in areas in danger, to continuously provide communication aid amid Mayon's recent unrest.

Advisory 01: PLDT, Smart ready to deploy assistance amid Kanlaon, Mayon, and Taal alerts

[08 June 2023] As of 2pm, Philippine Standard Time, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have already started preparing mission-critical equipment and personnel as PHIVOLCS raises alert levels over Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Occidental and volcanoes Mayon in Albay and Taal in Batangas.

“The Group's mission-critical resources are on standby, as PHIVOLCS reported more frequent seismic activities in these areas. Our network operations teams are already pre-positioned and prepared for deployment to affected areas should the situation escalate and affect our service,” said Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.

While there are still no volcano-related concerns reported in their field offices, PLDT and Smart’s network and operations teams have started preparing and will continue to be on full alert should the volcanic movements increase in the coming days.

Field operations responders within the area are also ready to be deployed, complete with personal protective equipment, along with PLDT and Smart’s contractors for possible reinforcement.

In 2022, PLDT and Smart provided the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Albay and Batangas Ligtas Kits to help accelerate the disaster preparedness and emergency response capacities of these localities.

The PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit is an all-in-one communications package that provides quick, emergency communications support to people in times of disaster. Each kit also included emergency communications training to further build capacity among communities.

While no noticeable ground movement was felt as of writing, PLDT and Smart urge everyone to take necessary precautions, including activating their emergency cell broadcast system (eCBS) on their mobile devices, and heed the alerts and warnings of local governments and disaster response authorities.

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