In celebration of World First Aid Day in September, PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) boost workplace safety with the adoption of blended learning for first responders among its workforce. The PLDT Group has tapped the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to provide Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support Training to the company’s emergency team through its online ‘elearnified’ platform.

“Understanding the different roles of our core emergency team at PLDT and Smart, we have engaged the PRC to provide a flexible training platform that will boost the knowledge and skills of our responders in attending to emergencies and life-threatening situations, as we expand our efforts to protect our most valuable asset – the workforce,” said Leo A. Gonzales, Vice President, PLDT Property and Facilities Management.

Composed of volunteer employees, PLDT and Smart’s first aiders are part of a broader Emergency Management Team (EMT) that responds to critical situations in the workplace. Other units include the Volunteer Fire Brigade including search and rescue units, communication teams from Security Command Administration, and evacuation teams in different facilities.

Reinforcing the PLDT Group’s culture of preparedness, EMT members regularly attend trainings and capacity building activities. These include Fire Safety, Emergency Management, Disaster Risk Assessment and Management, and Disaster Mitigation Preparedness and Response.

PLDT and Smart also regularly conduct emergency simulations to prepare their employees for unexpected disruptive events. Key employees, likewise, attend Emergency Management conferences organized by experts. The PLDT Group also participates in the quarterly Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drills to reinforce its culture of preparedness.

The PLDT Group’s initiatives to train employee emergency responders underscore its efforts to help the country attain the UNSDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, by promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers, and UNSDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities.

They also highlight PLDT and Smart’s wider commitment to promote disaster resilience among Filipinos towards a #SafeandSmart Philippines, through continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions, and activities to help communities mitigate disaster.