PDRF launches first private sector-led national emergency operations center in the world

THE Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) launched the first ever national private sector-led National Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the region today. The PDRF EOC was blessed by H.E. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who serves as one of the PDRF co-chairs. Cardinal Tagle along with PDRF Co-Chairs Manuel V. Pangilinan and Jaime Augusto of Appreciation to the following donor companies: Aboitiz Foundation, Ayala Group of Companies, International Container Terminal Services, Inc., Jollibee Group Foundation, Liwayway Marketing Corporation, Pilipinas Shell, PJ Lhuillier Inc., PLDT, SMART and San Miguel Corporation. Among those present were Shell CEO Ed Chua, WWF President Lory Tan, Aboitiz Founda- tion President Susan Valdez, Philanthropist Loida Nicolas-Lewis, PDRF President Rene Meily and National Competitiveness Council Private Sector Co-Chair Guillermo Luz.

With Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative as a main partner, the PDRF Emergency 0perations Center - erations hub geared towards training for disaster preparedness and coordination of response and recovery efforts during major disasters. It has advanced communications software and technology that will allow for monitoring climate-related and natural hazards and close coordination with deployed resources and coordinates warning, disaster evacuation, inventory of assets and emergency services integration.

The establishment of the PDRF Emergency Operations Center has the following objectives: 1) To ensure coordination and collaboration by building an ecosystem of corporations and partners to collaborate and coordinate with the government and international humanitarian organizations in disaster risk reduction management; 2) To empower individual businesses to build their own disaster resilience, and 3) To strengthen the preparedness of SMEs that work directly with larger organizations so that they may be as prepared as the larger corporations they support.

Currently located in the Shell House at 156 Valero, Salcedo Village, Makati, the EOC serves as a satellite operations center while the permanent operations center in Clark is being developed. The Clark Emergency Operations Center is targeted to be fully functional by the