PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have partnered with the municipality of Talavera in Nueva Ecija to work towards community resilience with the Ligtas Kit.
Talavera Mayor Nerito Santos Jr. and Vice Mayor Nerivi Martinez personally received the Ligtas Kit turned over by PLDT and Smart.
“Thank you to PLDT and Smart for sharing their technology through the Ligtas Kit. This would help strengthen our town’s capacity against disasters,” said Mayor Nerito Santos Jr.
“As we deploy more PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kits, we wish to reach more communities, including those in far-flung areas, and provide them their much-needed disaster-resilient communications support,” said Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.
The PLDT group recently turned over one Ligtas Kit to Talavera and discussed how this can supplement the municipality disaster response and recovery efforts to help protect the lives of residents in Talavera against calamities.
An all-in-one emergency communications package, the Ligtas Kit aims to serve the communication needs of local government units and residents, including those with disabilities, and leave no one behind in times of disasters.
Each kit comes packaged in a protective case with the following: portable generator, solar panel, satellite phone, smartphone, pocket WiFi, crank radio, flashlights, and whistles.
“We have always been partners with PLDT and Smart. We feel very fortunate to be one of the recipients of Ligtas Kit. PLDT and Smart also helped our town during the pandemic through the expansion of their technology that kept us online and enabled us to stay connected,” added Vice Mayor Nerivi Martinez.
Last year, the PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit reached 20 provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The program is supported by funds from the Motolite-PBSP Balik Baterya program, a sustainable initiative that encourages member companies to donate their used lead acid batteries (ULABs) for proper recycling. The fund derived from the responsible waste disposal program is then used for various projects, including PLDT and Smart’s disaster resilience initiatives. The Group will continue to extend communication as aid and distribute more Ligtas Kits nationwide.
The Ligtas Kit signifies PLDT Group’s continuing commitment to building a smarter and safer Philippines through sustainable and inclusive mobile technology. This is also aligned with the UN SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.