Smart Taps Bohol Youth for Disaster Preparedness

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Five years since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol, the events during that day are still fresh in the minds of the students who went through the ordeal.

“I was shaking because my grandmother was crying, and my cousin was shouting, ‘earthquake! earthquake!’” said 19-year-old medical technology student Geena Mae Hopida, recalling their family in panic.

The quake, whose epicenter was in Bohol, struck on Oct. 15, 2013, and jolted most of the Visayas and parts of Mindanao and Luzon. It was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Philippines in recent years, causing injuries and loss of lives, and massive damage to property and infrastructure.

Amid the tremors, Hopida had the presence of mind to instruct others to “duck, cover and hold,” as she had learned during earthquake drills at school.

Grade 12 student Adrian Bucoy could hardly find words to describe the terror of feeling the ground trembling. “The rumbling from under the ground became louder and louder. My mother was calling me from the kitchen, but we couldn’t hear each other,” said Bucoy, now 18 years old.

A few weeks later, the province was hit by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record.

Hopida and Abucoy, who both study at Holy Name University in Tagbilaran City, were some of the participants of the TNT Tropang Ready disaster preparedness caravan organized at their campus by PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications.

Smart’s TNT Tropang Ready aims to train youths in disaster preparedness skills so that they can help their communities in times of calamities. Smart recently brought the caravan to HNU as part of the company’s nationwide learning series on disaster preparedness geared toward the youth.

“At Smart, we work hand in hand with our partners to promote the culture of preparedness within communities. We are tapping the youth for this program—Bohol students, specifically—because of their skills, their tech savvy and their first-hand experience of surviving a calamity,” said Ramon R. Isberto, PLDT and Smart public affairs head.

More than 1,000 students and school personnel were taught emergency preparedness lessons by representatives of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, and resource persons from Emergency Management Center.

The speakers discussed emergency risks and hazards and demonstrated the proper way to do the duck-cover-hold protection technique during earthquakes: duck, or drop to the floor; take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture (or against a wall); and hold on to the piece of furniture.

The speakers also shared the contents of a “Go Bag,” a survival kit containing a flashlight, bottle of water, mobile phone, garbage bag, T-shirt, flashlight battery, and other essentials that could last up to 72 hours.

Interactive booths, games, and other activities further illustrated preparedness, such as making a paracord bracelet, which doubles as an emergency rope and contains a whistle that can come in handy during emergencies.

“After this session with TNT Tropang Ready, we want our students to bring their learnings at home,” said Anne Mariquit Opus, HNU health and safety officer, adding that “Bohol is quite vulnerable.”

The provincial disaster risk reduction and management office cannot do everything, conceded its chief, Anthony Damalerio, as he underscored the importance of partnerships. “We’re happy that Smart is doing its part in helping disseminate information regarding disaster management here in Bohol,” he said.

Smart has been working with different schools nationwide to help families and individuals in high-risk areas prepare for emergencies and disasters. The TNT Tropang Ready program is the latest enhancement of Smart’s disaster preparedness initiative for communities launched in 2013.

The TNT Tropang Ready caravan is part of Smart’s #SafePH advocacy, which promotes preparedness through mobile solutions and on-ground activities to help communities mitigate disaster risks.

The program won in the Community Engagement category at the prestigious Golden World Awards this year. The GWA recognizes PR practices that meet international standards of excellence and is organized annually by the International Public Relations Association.

Louie Domingo (left) of Emergency Management Center demonstrates to the audience preparedness tips with the help of a Holy Name University student at the TNT Tropang Ready activity held at the campus in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Holy Name University students list down the contents of a “Go Bag” or a survival kit at the TNT Tropang Ready disaster preparedness learning session held at their campus.

Representatives of Smart Communications join students and school personnel of Holy Name University for a photo after the TNT Tropang Ready disaster preparedness caravan held at their campus in Tagbilaran City.

Cusi Reminds Government Institutions to Settle Electricity Payables

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Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi calls on other government agencies to ensure the settlement of their outstanding obligations with electric cooperatives as part of the energy family’s continuing initiatives to provide efficient electricity services for all.

“Being part of the government, we need to be earnest in pursuing energy-resiliency and efficiency. In order to attain our energy goals, it is important that we are all able to uphold our commitment to our stakeholders and service providers,” Sec. Cusi said.

He emphasized, “As we’ve been pushing for massive electrification, energy efficiency and security of the country, I am pleading on behalf of the distribution utilities (DUs), including the electric cooperatives (ECs), for the concerned government institutions to settle their outstanding accounts. DUs and ECs collect revenue to generate cash flow that would enable them to provide efficient and sustainable services to the areas they serve.”

The DOE, through a memorandum signed by Undersecretary Alexander S. Lopez, coordinated with the respective heads of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, and National Bureau of Investigation on the settlement of delinquent accounts payable to distribution utilities and electric cooperatives, with a total amount of PhP 17 million.

The unsettled payment is one of the challenges that may lead to weak and unstable operational performance. This implies incurring issues that involve DUs' and institutions’ negligence in their collection mechanisms.

Data from the National Electrification Administration indicate that outstanding accounts need to be settled with 23 ECs. These cooperatives are located in Regions I (1 EC), IV (5 ECs), V (2 ECs), VI (1 EC), VIII (3 ECs), IX (2 ECs), XI (1 EC), XII (5 ECs), and CARAGA (3 ECs) respectively.

The entire energy family continues to assure the public that it will closely monitor the accountability of the DUs and government institutions in fulfilling their respective obligations.

Lenovo Opens Concept Store in Tacloban

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LENOVO FIRST OPENS CONCEPT STORE IN TACLOBAN. Leading PC and smart devices developer Lenovo recently opened its first concept store in Leyte as part of efforts to bring its services closer to customers in the region. Located in the second level of Robinsons Place Tacloban, the store features Lenovo’s ever-growing product portfolio of notebooks, laptops, and desktops, which can be designed and customized to cater to the different lifestyles and tech needs. This process is part of the company’s overall thrust to focus more on customers in its overall strategy to achieve growth by delivering excellent service solutions. In photo from left to right: Eddie Uy, Managing Director of Electrocomputer Data Systems, Katherine Uy, CFO of Electrocomputer Data Systems, and Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager.

Technology leader, Lenovo, has recently opened its newest concept store in Tacloban City, Leyte, as part of efforts to bolster presence in the Philippines. This is the company’s first concept store in the Eastern Visayas region.

Located in Robinsons Place Tacloban, the store features Lenovo’s ever-growing product portfolio of notebooks, laptops, and desktops, designed and customized to cater to the different lifestyles and tech needs of various market segments.

“Lenovo position as a global leader is not just because of our innovative products, but because of our efforts in making them more visible and accessible to the public, especially in key cities with a bustling local economy such as Tacloban. Through our concept stores, which we plan to expand all over the country, customers can have a unique first-hand experience of our products and at the same time discover what suits their lifestyle and needs through the advice of our professional staff,” said Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan.

With the unique, face-to-face experience that customers can get from visiting the concept store, Lenovo gains crucial insight about its customers, which enables it to develop the best customized solutions to meet market requirements. This process is part of the company’s thrust to focus more on customers in its overall strategy on achieving growth by delivering excellent service solutions.

This strategy has helped position Lenovo as a worldwide leader in terms of PC and smart devices sales. Between the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2017-2018 and the first quarter of fiscal year 2018-2019, the company experienced double-digit growth and improved profitability as its revenue reached $11.91 billion, a 19-percent year-on-year growth. These figures earned Lenovo the number one spot in PC shipments by Gartner.

Further growth is expected with Lenovo’s new and upcoming offerings. Customers in Tacloban can expect some of the recent additions like the IdeaPad 330, 330S, and 530S, the three powerful yet budget-friendly PC devices that run on Windows 10. Avid gamers can also expect to get their hands on the new Legion Y530.

”We’ll continue to develop more innovative products in the years to come. Hopefully with the help of our concept stores, we can introduce them to our customers in a simple, flexible approach. We know that in the Philippines, actual hands-on experience with devices is an important part of the buying decision. Through our concept stores, customers are given a unique and personalized experience that puts their needs first,” Ngan said.

There are currently 19 Lenovo Concept Stores serving clients in key cities across the nation. Lenovo Concept Store Tacloban is located at the second level of Robinsons Place Tacloban. It is open daily during mall hours from 10:00AM to 9:00PM.