PLDT, Smart, PDRF launch first Ligtas Kit, strengthening community resilience

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) together with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) launch the first-ever PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit to kick off this year’s National Disaster Resilience Month.

PDRF is the Philippines’ major private sector vehicle and coordinator for disaster resilience.

“Our experience shows that in times of disaster, communication is just as crucial as food, water, and shelter, particularly for LGUs and other agencies that coordinate emergency services for affected communities. The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit provides quick emergency communications support in times of disaster and aims to promote a culture of preparedness among communities,” said Katherine Diaz De Rivera, Stakeholder Management Lead for Disaster Resilience at PLDT and Smart.

The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit is an all-in-one communications package that provides quick, emergency communications support to people and communities in times of disaster. Each kit comes with a power station, solar panel, rechargeable handy megaphone, crank radio, satellite phone (SmartSAT), smart phone, Smart LTE pocket Wi-Fi, rechargeable flashlight, and whistle, which are packed in a protective hard case. Each kit will also include emergency communications training to further build capacity among communities.  

“This partnership with PLDT and Smart takes further our commitment to help communities respond to and recover from disasters. It also brings us closer to building a more disaster-resilient Philippines. With their support, through their core business of technology, we are able to find more ways of giving back to our communities,” said Veronica Gabaldon, Executive Director of PDRF.  

The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit is part of the longstanding #SafeandSmart advocacy of the PLDT group, which promotes preparedness and immediate response through continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions, and activities to help communities mitigate disaster risks. The initiative also underscores the commitment of PLDT and Smart to attaining the UNSDGs, particularly SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

For more information about the PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit and how to procure one, please email learnsmart@smart.com.ph. (PLDT)