NEWS

By: Rainier Allan Ronda

MANILA, Philippines — The private sector led by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) immediately went into action to join government rescue operations in Porac, Pampanga following last Monday’s magnitude 6.1 earthquake.

PDRF member company Meralco rushed to provide generator sets, floodlights and other heavy equipment to assist in the search and rescue operations that commenced after the collapse of Chuzon Supermarket, while Makati Development Corp. deployed one rescue team aside from providing generator sets and floodlights.

Miners from another PDRF member company, Philex Mining Corp., and a rescue team from the Energy Development Corp., through the Wilderness Search and Rescue Philippines, were also deployed to help in the rescue efforts.

Clark Water and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines distributed drinking water for rescue teams and affected communities, while Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Jollibee Foods Corp. and McDonald’s Philippines delivered food packs for rescuers.

The PDRF, formed as a result of a cooperative effort of the country’s largest corporations, is the country’s major private sector vehicle and coordinator for disaster resilience. As an alliance of businesses dedicated to building the disaster risk management capabilities of the private sector in the country, PDRF aims to contribute to sustainable development and the general welfare of the Filipino people especially on disaster resilience.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose congressional district was adversely affected by the earthquake, commended the private sector assistance.

“I want to acknowledge those who have already sent help, and we are very grateful to them for their support. I’m grateful that everybody is doing everything to save lives, help the injured and restore normalcy as soon as possible,” Arroyo said.

PDRF president Butch Meily said the post-earthquake rescue operations showed the importance of private sector-government collaboration in disaster response and recovery.

“We are proud to be part of a group of businesses that do not hesitate to lend a helping hand to help communities and families bounce back after a disaster. We are glad to have helped save lives during this time of crisis,” Meily said.

“Disaster preparedness and prevention are extremely important for saving lives. PDRF’s ability to respond quickly on April 22 to help mount a search-and-rescue operation was instrumental in saving lives. We are extremely grateful to the many companies who responded to calls for assistance and collaborated with government agencies and LGUs,” PDRF chief resilience officer Guillermo Luz added.

To augment disaster response efforts, the Clark-based PDRF’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) led by Ninoy Castro raised its alert level to red, activating its eight member company clusters: Food and non-food; water and sanitation; power, fuel, and energy; finance and insurance; search and rescue/medical; logistics; information, communications, and technology; and infrastructure.

The PDRF-EOC continues to monitor and coordinate private sector response and early recovery efforts for affected communities in Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas, which also suffered damage due to a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit Eastern Samar less than a day after the magnitude 6.1 earthquake in Luzon.

As of April 24, the private sector has deployed the following resources:

• Search and rescue teams, K9 units, and equipment

• Meralco

• Energy Development Corporation through Wilderness Search and Rescue Philippines (WISAR), Bulacan and Raja Rescue

• Philex Mining Corporation (miners for search and rescue support)

• Makati Development Corp.

• Ayala Land Alviera

• Response coordination

• PDRF quick response team from PDRF EOC

• Logistics support for search and rescue

• Meralco (generator sets, floodlights, heavy equipment)

• Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (fuel)

• Makati Development Corporation (generator sets, floodlights, structural engineers)

• Food and water for search and rescue teams

• Alagang Kapatid Foundation (food relief packs)

• One Meralco Foundation

• Jollibee Foods Corp.

• Clark Water (water tank)

• Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (bottled water)

• McDonald’s Philippines

• Food and water for affected population

• Alagang Kapatid Foundation (food relief packs)

• PLDT-Smart Foundation (food relief packs)

• Manila Water Co., Inc. (water tanks, drinking for IDPs in Brgy. Camias, Porac, Pampanga)

• Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (water tank, bottled water)

• Jollibee Foods Corp.

• Damage assessment

• Ayala Corporation (helicopter)

• Pacific Global One Aviation Company (helicopter)

• Emergency telecommunications

• Globe Telecom (cell site on wheels; free call and charging stations)

• PLDT-Smart (Libreng Tawag and charging stations)

• Medical assistance

• Makati Medical Center Foundation (wheelchair and prosthetic support)

• Kapampangan Development Foundation (wheelchair and prosthetic support)

• Temporary shelters for travelers and tourists

• Clark Development Corp.

Source: The Philippine Star