City Savings Bank (CitySavings), the thrift subsidiary of Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) partnered with Komunidad and Aboitiz Foundation in a strategic partnership aimed at reinforcing disaster risk reduction programs for two local government units (LGUs). Through the year-long Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2.0 program, CitySavings’ commitment to establishing an early warning system in the municipalities of Caramoran, Catanduanes, and Dinapigue, Isabela came to fruition.
Together with the Aboitiz Foundation, this initiative aligns with CitySavings’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), reflecting its aspiration to co-create resilient, empowered, and sustainable communities as well as recognizing its goal of enabling stakeholders to prevent, prepare for, and recover from the impacts of disasters.
Komunidad, through its Climate Action Center, grants access to one global positioning system (GPS) location per LGU together with a portal to Komunidad’s Site Analysis Dashboard featuring five data parameters. Additionally, they were also provided with 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 end-users and community members, further expanding the reach of our services.
Through these collaborative efforts, CitySavings, Komunidad, and the Aboitiz Foundation aim to enhance the knowledge and 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, saving more lives, and building a more resilient and empowered future.