Pilipinas Shell, BFP strengthen partnership
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) recently renewed their partnership on fire safety and emergency response initiatives within both organizations, while providing safety programs for external communities and groups.
This is part of Pilipinas Shell’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all components of its operations, leading to the protection of the customers and communities they serve.
This renewed partnership also introduced “KAISA: Call to action against destructive fire campaign,” a BFP initiative which encourages the active participation of different societal sectors to perform their roles in proper fire safety and prevention.
The partnership has been successful in producing the most comprehensive, educational, and empowering fire safety programs for various groups across different local sectors. Some of their programs include their Junior Fire Marshal program, which trained over 8,600 students and 166 volunteer teachers on fire safety. Another is the BiyaHERO initiative, a road safety initiative that educated over 25,000 students and 30 mentors on proper road safety guidelines.
The partnership also led to continuous training both for internal and external stakeholders. The Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness program helped around 430 community volunteers learn more about the protocols to remember and implement during major calamities. To further equip their employees in their different facilities, Pilipinas Shell also conducted Joint Fire Emergency Response Drills in 16 of their Fuel Terminals, as well as a Joint Oil Spill Response drill in their Tabangao site.
Pilipinas Shell established a Community Satellite Fire Station in Batangas City, which they entrusted the local BFP to operate.
Grameen Foundation program for microentrepreneurs
Grameen Foundation bared the results of COVID-19 RELIEF (Response to Enhance Livelihoods of Individual Entrepreneurs and Families) initiative in the Philippines.
Supported by J.P. Morgan, the two-phase program targeted individual microentrepreneurs severely affected by community lockdowns imposed in Metro Manila and Cebu.
In Phase I, Grameen and its MFI (microfinance institution) partners, Ahon sa Hirap Inc. and RAFI Micro-finance Inc., delivered food, medicine packages, vouchers, and COVID-19 crisis-related financial advice to 3,500 targeted microentrepreneurs and their households.
In Phase II of the program, Grameen Foundation supported its MFI partners in equipping microentrepreneurs with strategies to cope and respond to the COVID-19 crisis . Drawing on its Resilient Life, Resilient Business curriculum, Grameen designed learning modules to support women entrepreneurs. Working with Grameen’s Bankers without Borders, J.P. Morgan staff also volunteered their time to mentor and provide training to support participating MFIs in their resiliency and recovery efforts.
“J.P. Morgan remains committed to helping individuals left most vulnerable by COVID-19 around the world,” said Carlos Ma. Mendoza, senior country officer ofJ.P. Morgan Philippines.
Women microentrepreneurs were given immediate relief and were trained to overcome the crisis to achieve long-term recovery.
InLife Health Care launches Privilege Care
InLife Health Care (IHC), a subsidiary of Insular Life, launched Privilege Care, its newest premium health care solution that packs high medical benefits and more non-traditional lifestyle benefits that not all health plans carry.
Privilege Care offers the industry’s highest benefit limit of up to P5 million for inpatient care services and a fixed annual benefit limit of P100,000 for outpatient care services. It includes access to IHC-accredited provider network nationwide and even allows members to get medical attention from facilities and doctors they prefer, even if they are outside IHC’s network.
Privilege Care has worldwide coverage. Members can access hospitals outside the country and get reimbursement for the medical treatment they receive. Privilege Care further spotlights personal health care and convenience by incorporating diagnostic home services and a direct line to Lifeline 16-911 in case of emergency.
IHC also partnered with Parkway Pantai, Singapore’s leading private health care provider, so Privilege Care members can use their plans in Parkway hospitals including Mount Elizabeth Hospital and enjoy cashless transactions.
Privilege Care has built-in travel and life insurance. Its travel benefits involve assisting plan members with medical emergency situations abroad and smoothing out common travel inconveniences like flight delays, loss of belonging, and more. The life insurance benefit comes up to P200,000.
Bayer puts up community vegetable farm
Bayer has launched a second vegetable farm to benefit relocated communities in Calauan, Laguna. This is part of the company’s bid to augment food and livelihood requirements for families where needed.
Situated beside Southville 7 in Barangay Dayap, the 2,200-square meter farm is intended to support the regular feeding program in the community and contribute to providing an income source for community residents turned farmers.
The first urban farm was inaugurated in Taguig in January 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.
The crops initially grown in the Calauan vegetable farm include sweet corn, squash, tomatoes, and bottle gourd. The site also has a seedling nursery and a kubo that serves as a venue for training activities related to recommended farming practices.
For the two projects, Bayer partnered with Rise Against Hunger Philippines as the latter has been active in distributing food through its food bank network, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
Communication groups hold forum on vaccine acceptance
Three of the country’s major communication groups – International Association of Business Communicators Philippines, International Public Relations Association Philippines and the Public Relations Society of the Philippines are joining forces to ramp up COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the Philippines.
On April 20, the three organizations will jointly host “Vax Populi: Driving COVID-19 Acceptance,” a free webinar that aims to equip communicators in crafting vaccine rollout communication plans, provide a platform for public-private collaboration on vaccine awareness and acceptance, and increase vaccine acceptance levels among webinar participants.
Vax Populi will feature Margot Torres, McDonald’s Philippines managing director and co-lead of Ingat Angat (a private sector-led consumer confidence and vaccine education campaign); Dr. Beverly Ho of the Department of Health; and Dr. Mario Panaligan, Philippine College of Physicians president.
PLDT-Smart Foundation for digital peace education
PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) together with Smart Communications recently partnered with the Ten Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) Foundation to strengthen the digital peace education for the youth of Marawi.
PSF provided Smart LTE Pocket WiFi with load cards to the Teach Peace, Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) for the use of the youth beneficiaries in Marawi City.
The project aims to provide supplemental digital lessons and exercises on peacebuilding and personal well-being in online peace education classes that the students can access on weekends using tablets donated by the TOWNS Foundation. The Digital Peace Education Project also integrates social and emotional learning processes that can help nurture a child’s inner peace and social skills.
After the pilot campaign, the TOWNS Foundation and the TPBPM plan to conduct more online peace education lessons to children while developing more digital learning resources to influence others to choose, live and lead the path of a culture of peace.
Ripple8 new managing partner
PR solutions agency Ripple8 recently announced the promotion of Michelle Ople to managing partner.
Ople joined Ripple8 nearly four years ago as media relations and activations director. Before that, Ople was a TV and radio journalist.
Ople also plays an important role in Ripple8’s Crisis Management team and has helped expand Ripple8’s media coverage to the international community for the Department of Tourism.
Globe customers raise P3.4M donations
Globe continues to engage its customers to support organizations and advocacies of their choice through Globe Rewards.
In the first quarter of 2021 alone, customers have donated P3.4 million worth of Rewards points to help those in need.
The donations will help extend medical support to 55 indigent cancer patients and to provide meals, accommodations, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontliners at the Philippine General Hospital. It will also support elderly priests and brothers, help facilitate the training of mental health frontline responders, aid in the purchase of polio vaccines for children under the care of Rotary Foundation, and support the child welfare and disaster response programs of ABS-CBN Bantay Bata.
Part of the funds raised will also provide 462 public school teachers with connectivity under the Brigada ng Ayala program, and 51 marine conservation kits and learning materials to youth leaders.
Moreover, 260 packed meals will be given to underserved families in Metro Manila. Likewise, 1,027 indigenous trees will be planted in Mindanao and will provide medical care to 555 rescued animals.
