PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications are enhancing workplace safety by implementing blended learning for first responders. The company has partnered with the Philippine Red Cross to provide Standard First Aid and Basic Life Support Training to its emergency team through an online platform. The first aiders are part of a broader Emergency Management Team, which includes volunteer fire Brigade, search and rescue units, communication teams, and evacuation teams.
“Understanding the different roles of our core emergency team at PLDT and Smart, we have engaged the PRC to provide a flexible training platform that will boost the knowledge and skills of our responders in attending to emergencies and life-threatening situations as we expand our efforts to protect our most valuable asset – the workforce,” said Leo A. Gonzales, Vice President, PLDT Property and Facilities Management.
Reinforcing the PLDT Group’s culture of preparedness, EMT members regularly attend training and capacity-building activities. These include Fire Safety, Emergency Management, Disaster Risk Assessment and Management, and Disaster Mitigation Preparedness and Response.
PLDT and Smart also regularly conduct emergency simulations to prepare employees for unexpected disruptive events. Key employees, likewise, attend Emergency Management conferences organized by experts. The PLDT Group also participates in the quarterly Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drills to reinforce its culture of preparedness.
The PLDT Group’s initiatives to train employee emergency responders underscore its efforts to help the country attain the UNSDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth by promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers and UNSDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities.
They also highlight PLDT and Smart’s broader commitment to promoting disaster resilience among Filipinos towards a #SafeandSmart Philippines through continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions, and activities to help communities mitigate disaster.
