More than 30 members of the Tagbanua Tandulanen Indigenous Cultural Community from 11 barangays in El Nido, Palawan, participated in a disaster preparedness training organized by PLDT, as the telecommunications company advances community resilience alongside its network infrastructure project.
Held in Barangay Sibaltan, the session covered emergency response and survival techniques for earthquakes, typhoons and storm surges, preparing emergency kits, and using mobile phones during emergencies. The activity was part of PLDT and Smart Communications’ commitment under the Palawan Resiliency Submarine Cable Project.
Roderick D. Gacasa, a teacher at Sibaltan Elementary School who attended the training, said disaster preparedness was important for community members who travel beyond Palawan.
“While we can say that our town has not had plenty of experience with earthquakes, knowing what to do during such an event is important, especially because we’re not only staying in Palawan but also traveling beyond it,” Gacasa said.
He added that the school also conducts disaster preparedness training and drills for students.
Jonathan Palma of the Emergency Management Center led the session. PLDT and Smart also turned over office equipment to the community for use in future tribal hall activities. The turnover was received by Kamaulangan Nelson Biennes, tribal affairs assistant I, who also opened the training.
“We are thankful to PLDT for this learning session, and for not forgetting our community,” Biennes said. “Disaster preparedness is something that we should all be knowledgeable about, so this session is really important and timely.”
Stephanie V. Orlino, assistant vice president and head of stakeholder engagement at PLDT and Smart, said the companies were working to strengthen community preparedness while improving network resilience through the submarine cable project.
The initiative follows a memorandum of agreement signed earlier this year by PLDT, the Tagbanua Indigenous Cultural Community of Palawan and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. The agreement provides for the recognition and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights through cultural, social and environmental safeguards during the project’s implementation.
The training was conducted in observance of National Indigenous Peoples Month and aligns with the PLDT Group’s Konekted for Inclusion and Konekted for Resilience programs, which promote access to connectivity, learning and livelihood opportunities, as well as preparedness before, during and after emergencies.
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