Smart pushes employees to embrace preparedness

In its effort to strengthen the culture of preparedness from among its employees, mobile leader Smart Communications engaged Mystery Manila, the country's first live roleplaying mystery game designer, to run a series of challenges anchored on how to survive a post-earthquake scenario.

“Preparation for disasters should not end in knowing what to do. Practice and imagination are also important,” said Smart public affairs group head Ramon Isberto. “So to help our employees cope with the possible conditions after an earthquake, we set up a couple of rooms at Smart Tower and ‘ gamified’ a battery of challenges that test skills and resourcefulness during emergency situations like post-earthquakes,” added Isberto.

In undertaking the challenge, Smart employees learned how to communicate by tapping or using a whistle, how to purify water, and how to rescue teammates in the dark, among others.

After completing the activity, the teams also had the opportunity to discuss their experiences with a representative from the Emergency Management Center, who also shared additional safety and survival tips.

“With these activities, we want to be able to help our employees adopt a preparedness lifestyle, and eventually influence their families and the communities they belong to, to do the same. Surviving disasters is a group effort. To overcome it, everyone must do their part and be ready, especially in this time where typhoons are getting common and there's a threat of the ‘big one’ happening in our lifetime,” Isberto said.

Smart as an organization has embraced preparedness, and has been aggressively promoting the culture of preparedness to its partner organizations under its #SafePH program.

Apart from providing communications as relief during disasters, Smart has taken an active role in strengthening the capacity of high-risk communities to prepare for, manage and recover from the impact of disasters. To k n ow mo r e about Smart’s preparedness initiatives, visit