Smart Communications, Inc. has loaned fixed terminal satellite phones to Oxfam in the Philippines to assist in its relief and rehabilitation efforts in three of the provinces in Southern Mindanao hardest hit by Typhoon Pablo early last month.
The five satellite phones will be used in the operation centers of Oxfam and its partner, the Humanitarian Response Consortium (HRC), in Davao Oriental’s Tagum City and in Bislig City of Surigao del Sur. The contract is for a minimum period of three months but could extend up to seven months.
“We are happy to partner with Oxfam and the HRC in helping out the victims of Typhoon Pablo. We recognize the important role that communications play in post-disaster relief and rehabilitation efforts. The devastation caused by Pablo to lives, property, infrastructure and agricultural crops is just so enormous we would need all the help we can get to help rebuild the affected communities,” said Darwin Flores, Smart’s senior manager for community partnerships.
Known for its quick disaster response deployment, Smart was the first company to set foot on the coastal towns of Cateel and Baganga in Davao Oriental, two of those that were hit hardest by Pablo.
With the help of its partners, the telco was able to offer free call and satellite Internet services to the residents and humanitarian agencies operating in the affected communities. It also mounted relief operations to address the urgent need of the victims for food and clean, drinking water.
“These lines will enable us to coordinate our relief and rehabilitation efforts and allow us to respond immediately to the needs of the victims of Typhoon Pablo in Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur and Compostela Valley,” said Janice Jan Manlutac, program manager for Building Resilient Communities, Oxfam in the Philippines.
Oxfam is a global movement of people working towards a world without poverty. It responds in emergencies, working for the long term to help people rebuild their lives.
Its partner, HRC, is leading Oxfam’s humanitarian response in the affected areas. HRC was formed by five local groups in 2010 with a mission to provide emergency response services to populations affected by disasters. Each of the five local entities has complementing specializations and has strategic operations in all three major island groups of the Philippines. In the event of a natural disaster or conflict, these NGOs pool together their resources to launch an emergency response as one consortium.
Smart’s senior manager for community partnerships Darwin Flores endorses the fixed terminal satellite phones to Janice Jan Manlutac, Oxfam in the Philippines’ project manager for Building Resilient Communities.
0 Comments
Oldest