Building "Noah's Ark"

It was February, still months away from the rainy-season downpurs that can blanket Metro Manila with deadly floods, but in Barangay Tumana, Marikina City, the townfolk were busy evacuating their riverside homes as if their lives depended on it.

Carrying some clothes, beddings and important documents, about 350 people - including men, women and children - left their homes in an orderly fashion, boarded trucks and moved to the H. Bautista Elementary School in nearby Barangay Concepcion which had been identified as a safe haven in times of floods.

While there, the "evacuees" were brought to pre-assigned rooms and attended to by various barangay committees. For example, nursing mothers and pregnant women were brought to "lactating rooms" while the others were served piping-hot "lugaw".

All this was just a drill, but barangay officials and the residents took it seriously.

"People here remember Ondoy. They had a terrible time then and they want to be better prepared the next time around," said Hilda Tabar-Cleofe, executive director of the Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR), which is helping the flood-prone barangays ofmarikina prepare for future calamities under a program appropriately named "Noah's Ark".

"We are focusing on community preparedness, particulary for those areas that are frequently hit by calamities like floods," said Mon Isberto, public affairs head of Smart Communications which funded the drill.

"The idea is to develop a model that can be replicated in other communities with local governments and private companies working together,"added Isberto, who is also president of CNDR.

This model for community preparedness has already been tested in real emergencies. 

In 2010, Noah's Ark was piloted in Barangay Malanday, Marikina City with funding from Ayala Foundation. The effectiveness of the Malanday contingency plan in achieving "zero casualty" was tested - and proven! - during typhoons Falcon and Pedring in October 2011. 

For 2012, the plan is to bring Noah's Ark to four other high-risk communities, namely  Baranagay Bayanan in Muntinlupa City, Barangay Macasandig in Cagayan de oro, Barangay Banago or Mandalaganin Bacolod City, and another barangay in Iligan City.

These efforts are being supported by various corporate partners. Habitat for Humanity Philippines joined Ayala Foundation in supporting the program for example... .

SMART Continues to Support Sendong-affected Schools

After providing uninterrupted mobile service, post-disaster free calls, and over three million Pesos in donations to help survivors of Tropical Storm SENDONG rebuild their lives, SMART Communications, inc. (Smart) recently turned over additional equipment, school supplies and slippers to affcetd schools and partners in Cagayan de Oro City.

To benefit are some 6,300 students and 245 teachers from seven public high schools and two public elementary schools that are SMART partners in the Dynamic learning Program and communication Teach.

Smart also turned over life straws or portable water filters to three CDO schools, that are still suffering from shortage of potable drinking water after flood-triggered landslides damaged major water distributions lines. 

These are such some of many other helping projects of SMART. Thank you and God speed. 

SMART warns: Don't Be Duped By Scammers

I am glad. I received a press release from Reena J. Villamar, SMART Public Affairs. Very important. I like to share it with you:

Scammers usually target families or relatives of overseas Filipino workers (OFW's), or those who receive regular remittances from abroad. Senders of hoax texts usually claim to be family members, relatives and friends.

"They would pretend to be a family member or a relative, and ask victims to deposit a certain amount of money to various bank or e-money accounts, The money is supposed to help them during an emergency situation, such as escaping from a cruel emplyer by buying a ticket, or money for a medical treatment", said SMART Public Affairs Group Head Ramon R. Isberto.

"Since the initial reaction is almost always to help fraud victims send money as soon as possible, without confirming the facts with their family members first. When they relaize everything, it's too late", he added.

To avoid falling victim to scammers and losing hard-earned money, text messages or calls (and even emails) from unknown people should be double-checked and confirmed - or just ignored. 

Thanks a lot for reminding Reena J. Villamor, SMART Public Affairs.