Press Release
Smart provides employees training on disaster preparedness
When typhoon Sendong struck Cagayan de Oro, Hazel Almirante and her family were among the residents gravely affected by the flood.
“The ancestral house where I grew up and where my mom, my brother and his family are staying was directly hit. It was past 12 midnight and the water reached even the second floor, totally wiping out all our belongings and appliances in the first floor,” shared Almirante. “In a matter of five minutes, I could have lost all of them including my 2-year-old nephew, if not for the presence of mind of my brother.”
Almirante is an employee of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and experiences like Sendong make her and several other co-workers realize the value of disaster and emergency preparedness, both at home and at work. As such, company-initiated emergency and disaster preparedness trainings like those recently organized in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Davao, are well-received and well-attended by employees.
For two days, employees are taught to craft their disaster and emergency preparedness plans that include their families and colleagues. They are also briefed and trained to properly prepare and respond to various scenarios like natural calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes plus other cases like fires, various accidents and more.
“While we appreciate our employees’ efforts to reach out and help those who are in need during disasters, their safety is our utmost priority,” said Annette Santiago, head of Smart’s Human Resources. “They are also assured of the support and assistance from the company should they be affected by calamities,” Santiago added.
The Philippines is the most disaster prone country in Southeast Asia according to recent reports citing a Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) research. After typhoon Sendong, a 6.8-magnitude quake shook Negros Oriental soon after. Several companies responded to the calls for help, including Smart.
“Our primary mandate is to keep our network intact in times of disasters, and this has been the case in all the recent calamities thanks to the efforts of our employees,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs.
“Aside from making sure our operations remain normal in order to provide continuous connectivity to affected communities, our employees also involve themselves in equally important ground work. They set up Libreng Tawag stations in evacuation centers, provide communication assistance to emergency response units and sometimes help in the distribution of relief goods,” Isberto added.
Smart employees who take on the challenge of helping those affected by the disasters are those residing or based in the affected communities themselves. This makes the task for them extra challenging. Aside from thinking of the welfare of their kababayans in need, they of course also have to think of their jobs, their own families and themselves.
“We want to make sure that they are equipped with the proper knowledge to keep themselves and their families safe in times of disasters and emergencies,” said Santiago.
Smart employees are taught first aid basics like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Cebu Smart employees try to transport a colleague acting as the patient.
Cagayan De Oro Smart employees craft their disaster preparedness plan for both home and the workplace.
Using signals for search and rescue units.
