City Savings Bank, the thrift subsidiary of Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines, has partnered with Komunidad and Aboitiz Foundation to reinforce the disaster risk reduction programs of two local government units. CitySavings has helped establish an early warning system in the municipalities of Caramoran in Catanduanes and Dinapigue in Isabela through the year-long Disaster Risk Reduction 2.0 program.
Together with the Aboitiz Foundation, this initiative aligns with CitySavings' corporate social responsibility, reflecting its aspiration to co-create resilient, empowered and sustainable communities by enabling them to prevent, prepare for and recover from disasters.
Komunidad, through its Climate Action Center, grants access to one global positioning system location per LGU together with a portal to Komunidad's Site Analysis Dashboard, which features five data parameters.
Additionally, the LGUs were provided 5,000 Early Warning Alert credits, delivered via SMS or Viber. The reports, both event-triggered and scheduled daily, will be sent to five identified recipients.
In return, the LGUs commit to utilizing the information garnered from Komunidad's decision support tools to enhance their disaster preparedness and climate adaptation programs. This includes incorporating Komunidad's Climate Adaptation Suite into their local DRRM plans for project adoption and sustainability.
Training sessions on climate and weather systems, decision support tools and digital platforms were also part of the support provided to LGU DRRM officers and key stakeholders.
To promote knowledge-sharing and capacity-building, relevant information will be disseminated to other communities and stakeholders. Komunidad and the LGUs will jointly conduct information, education and communication campaigns to increase awareness among community members.
Through these collaborative efforts, CitySavings, Komunidad and the Aboitiz Foundation are helping enhance the capacity of local disaster risk reduction management teams. The bank is optimistic that this initiative will inspire more LGUs, communities and industries to join in the #EarlyWarningsForAll Movement, contributing to better disaster preparedness and saving more lives.