COMMUNITY | Benguet town credits disaster preparedness for zero-casualty record
Kapangan, a mountainous town prone to landslides, earthquakes, and road blockages, has improved its disaster response after receiving a PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit in 2024.
A municipality in Benguet has maintained a zero-casualty record during disasters by strengthening emergency communications and preparedness through an initiative supported by PLDT and Smart.
Kapangan, a mountainous town prone to landslides, earthquakes, and road blockages, has improved its disaster response after receiving a PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit in 2024. The emergency communications package has helped local authorities coordinate more quickly with remote barangays, particularly during severe weather when communities risk becoming isolated.
According to Kapangan Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Erick Abangley, the municipality has consistently recorded zero disaster-related deaths since using the system.
“Consistent na nag-zero casualty or zero dead sa amin,” Abangley said. “Kasi at least mayroon kami yung Ligtas Kit, malaking tulong na yan para ma-meet natin yung zero casualty [rate] sa aming bayan.”
Before receiving the kit, the municipality had no dedicated disaster hotline, making it difficult to coordinate with barangays during emergencies.
“Yung unang-una po kasi wala po kami ng hotline noon. Kaya noong nakita namin at least nabigyan kami ng hotline,” Abangley said. “Yun ang mostly ginagamit namin for reporting, data gathering, and coordination with the barangays.”
The Ligtas Kit includes a mobile phone, portable power station, solar panel, megaphones, a crank radio, flashlights, whistles, and other emergency communication tools designed to support disaster response even during power outages.
Kapangan uses the equipment to support its Emergency Operations Center, allowing responders to issue warnings more quickly and coordinate preemptive evacuations before storms and landslides.
“Number one yung communication namin, coordination with the barangays, implementing our preemptive enforced evacuation, at yung mga megaphone for giving warnings sa community,” Abangley said.
He added that preparedness begins before disasters occur by identifying hazard-prone areas and ensuring residents understand evacuation procedures.
“Bago dumating yung bagyo, dapat tayo ay nakapaghanda na. Alamin natin kung saan yung mga hazard or risk areas,” he said.
PLDT and Smart said they have deployed 75 Ligtas Kits nationwide, including in Batanes, Pag-asa Island, and Jolo, as part of the companies’ #KonnektedforResilience program, which combines emergency communication equipment with disaster preparedness training.
“Through solutions like the Ligtas Kit, we empower communities with critical communication capabilities that enable faster response and better coordination in times of crisis. We remain committed to supporting efforts that help build a safer and more resilient Philippines,” said Roby Alampay, first vice president and head of the Public Engagement Group at PLDT and Smart.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is also performed by human editors, with artificial intelligence (AI) used only to assist with additional grammar and style guide corrections..
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