CCF and PDRF to cross-share resources for disaster preparedness and response
(above) Private Hands in Arms
Thursday, 3 December, Makati City – The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and Singapore’s Corporate Citizen Foundation (CCF) today signed a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) to allow for active cross-sharing of assets, experiences, expertise and networks so as to better serve the humanitarian ecosystem in the area of disaster management.
The two private foundations were introduced to each other last month by the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre). While the Public and People sectors had long come together and embarked on collaborative frameworks, the Private sector had always been deemed to be passive funders or donors of disaster relief efforts.
The Memorandum of Intent (MOI) was signed between President of PDRF, Rene Butch Meily and CCF’s Executive Director, Hassan Ahmad, at PDRF’s office in Makati City. The Signing was witnessed by Mr Lim Choo Leng, Chairman of CCF, and Ms Marilou Erni, Executive Director of PDRF. PDRF’s co-chairman, Mr Manuel Pangilinan, who is also the chairman of Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), was present at the event.
Mr Butch Meily said of the MOI, “Partnerships have been the key to the success of PDRF and we are looking forward to working closely with the Corporate Citizen Foundation in future crisis.”
On 1 November, the AHA Centre had signed a landmark partnership agreement with the CCF, making the Singaporean outfit its first official private sector alliance partner for regional disaster management.
Sharing at the MOI Signing Ceremony, CCF’s Chairman Lim Choo Leng, said, “This is yet another milestone for the regional humanitarian ecosystem as ASEAN-born organisations from the private sector come together to cross-share our resources to boost our disaster response capability and capacity – hinging on each other’s assets and expertise, so as to be usefully and meaningfully relevant to the further development of the humanitarian framework within the region. We are confident that soon enough, we will begin to realise the vision of – One ASEAN, One Response.”
Inking Intent – (from left) Marilou Erni, Butch Meily, Hassan Ahmad, Lim Choo Leng
Men of Common Intent – (from left) Manuel Pangilinan, Hassan Ahmad, Butch Meily, Lim Choo Leng
ABOUT PDRF
The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) is the country’s major private sector vehicle and coordinator for disaster management. Composed of a team of highly committed professionals, PDRF works with field experts and reputable humanitarian institutions to organize and coordinate private sector solutions to disaster management.
As the critical link among government agencies, civil society groups and local government units, PDRF provides a systematic and holistic approach in responding to different crises from the period of preparedness to recovery.
Backed by the country’s largest conglomerates, industry movers and top corporate leaders, PDRF is an embodiment of solidarity that transcends business competition and promotes the common vision to build a strong, resilient and disaster-ready Philippines.
PDRF has as its co-chairs Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, PLDT and Metro Pacific Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.
ABOUT CCF
The Corporate Citizen Foundation (CCF) was officially launched by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in October 2014. It seeks to be the catalyst for proactive and constructive corporate collaboration for a better, safer and friendlier Asia. Initiated and seed-funded by HSL Constructor, the CCF is a private sector initiative to pull and pool together appropriate corporate assets to help improve the capacity and resilience of vulnerable communities in Asia, through sustainable livelihood programmes including disaster preparedness and response.
The CCF had established the Swift Emergency Evaluation Deployment (SEED), as its first responders for early access into and appropriate intervention at disaster-affected areas. SEED is simultaneously tasked to evaluate and disseminate first-hand information to incoming aid responders for more informed strategic decisions. Hence, the SEED’s slogan – Bridging the First Mile. SEED’s pioneer partners include the Pacific Flight Services of ST Aerospace (aerospace); Channel NewsAsia of Mediacorp (communications); Golden Season (water) and HSL Constructor (engineering).
Thus far, the CCF and SEED have responded to super typhoon Hagupit in the Philippines (Dec ‘14), the massive Kelantan floods in Malaysia (Dec ’14), and the Gorkha earthquake in Nepal (Apr ‘15).
