COMMUNITY | PLDT, Smart assist Albay with Ligtas Kit amid continued Mayon unrest

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications continue to assist the province of Albay through the unrest of Mayon Volcano now at alert level 3.

“With sustainable and inclusive technology, the PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit considers foremost the needs of everyone in the community, by providing equal access to resources for people who might be excluded, including people with disabilities. The Ligtas Kit enables communities to immediately access communication aid even during a disaster,” said Cathy Yang, first vice president and head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.

In 2022, the PLDT Group turned over a Ligtas Kit to the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) to help the province prepare for and recover from disasters through communications technology.

The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit is an all-in-one communications package that provides quick, emergency communications support to communities in times of a disaster.

“We will utilize the communication equipment included in the Ligtas Kit in our risk mapping activities as we continue to assess the situation due to Mayon’s continuing volcanic movements. This will help us determine the next steps we need to take should the situation worsen. The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit can boost our ongoing preparedness and response initiatives,” said Dr. Cedric Daep, head of APSEMO.

Each kit comes with the following equipment: power station, solar panel, rechargeable handy megaphone, crank radio, satellite phone (SAT), smart phone, Smart LTE pocket Wi-Fi, rechargeable flashlight, and whistle, which are packed in a protective hard case.

An emergency communications training was also provided to strengthen the capacity of communities in disaster resilience.

PLDT and Smart continue to monitor the situation in Albay and closely work with local governments and disaster response authorities in areas in danger to quickly respond with communication as aid and relief assistance should the need continue to arise.

The Ligtas Kit is part of PLDT and Smart’s #SafeandSmart advocacy campaign which promotes preparedness and immediate response through continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions and activities to help communities mitigate disaster risks. This is also aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal#11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.