Together We Stand

[ 29 ] PDRF is making use of telemedicine to enable patients in Leyte, many of whom have never seen doctors before, to be diagnosed by specialists thousands of miles away at the Makati Medical hospital through the magic of the Internet. Hewlett- Packard donated two e-health centres, the first in use outside of India, equipped with modern technology. Smart provided the Internet connectivity, Makati Med the doctors and the local governments of Tacloban and Biliran Island, Leyte the civic health workers manning the centres. This is a truly coop- erative effort that is making people healthier. In the Environment cluster, PDRF cobbled together another coalition, much as it did with the Marikina watershed, to plant mangroves to replenish fish colonies and protect coastal communities from the destructive storm surges that claimed the lives of thousands in Tacloban. As for Disaster Preparedness, PDRF is building top-of-the- line, two-story evacuation centres, self-contained and sturdy. Residents continue to be plagued by fear each time it rains and the centres serve as arks where nearby communities can flock to during future storms. PDRF has partnered with the Canadian Emergency Risk Management firm to train first responders from both the private and public sectors, including those from Zamboanga and the Philippine National Police, in fire safety, earthquake retrieval and other crisis situations. The most notable project of the Disaster Preparedness cluster is the construction of the world’s first privately-run and funded disaster operations centre (DOC). The centre will be located near Clark Airport, outside of Manila, with an initial office at the Shell House in Makati, another PDRF member. The goal will be to coordinate the preparedness and recovery efforts of the private sector during future crises, strengthen the resilience of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and support the Philippine Government in its relief work. As part of its mission, the DOC sponsors a PrepLab series that offers training to MSMEs in business continuity plan- ning, particularly those acting as suppliers or vendors to ‘lifeline’ companies. Lifeline companies are those engaged in essential services that people need to survive including water and sanitation, power, telecoms, logistics, emergency supplies, finance and search and rescue. These smaller firms are among the most vulnerable during calamities with many never recovering. PDRF has formed additional clusters based on the lifeline industries. Sixty-eight companies have joined these groups which have brought together firms from diverse industries to pool their resources to prepare for future crises and to help disaster victims. PDRF also offers training in the study of tropical weather patterns in partnership with Weather Philippines, a consortium established by another of its members, Aboitiz Foundation. It will soon give courses in emergency planning and organization along with drills and simulations. Reflecting a new understanding of the realities of the Philippine milieu and the multifaceted nature of calamities, the board of PDRF recently voted to change its name from recovery to resilience. It is now the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation. The new name reflects its new sense of purpose and the determination to make the Philippines a safer place. Among PDRF’s advocacies is the push to establish economic free trade zones in disaster-stricken areas in order to trigger economic growth and speed recovery. The real strength of the private sector lies not in donations because corporate social responsibility budgets are limited. The true vigour and robust- ness of the private sector can be unleashed when tax and other incentives are put in place to encourage investment by private companies. This investment will create jobs, encouraging people to return. Workers will need restaurants to eat in and hotels and houses to live in, thus reviving the region’s economy. The Philippines has begun to develop a real expertise in managing disasters. PDRF was born from a catastrophe and yet from that horror came a new understanding that the private sector, not just in the Philippines but around the world, has a significant role to play in all phases of a calamity, from preparedness to relief to recovery and reha- bilitation. The world of humanitarian action will never be the same again. PDRF is constructing evacuation centres that double as classrooms or multipurpose halls, like this one in Tanauan, Leyte Image: PDRF Members of the PDRF clusters Source: PDRF PDRF has formed seven lifeline clusters made up of some 68 companies to prepare for catastrophes and to respond to them Disaster operations centre Network of businesses and partner agencies Stakeholder management Update: 68 member companies Logistics Telecom Water & sanitation Emergency supplies (Food & non food) Power, fuel & energy Finance & insurance Health & emergency services/ search & rescue T ogether W e S tand