FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Falls Church, VA, May 15, 2021 --- The Smart Development Institute (SDI) is pleased to announce a $140,000 Tevelson Grant Award from the Project Handclasp Foundation (PHF) to SDI to launch Project RISE (Resiliency Improvement Support and Education) with our partners, the PTC Group (PTC), and the US-Philippines Society (USPHS). Project RISE aims to help enhance the overall level of resiliency and disaster response preparedness among communities in the Philippines.
The Philippines ranks third (3rd) among all the countries with the highest disaster risks worldwide, according to the World Risk Report, 2018. Our goal is to develop and implement disaster preparedness programs that will target six (6) disaster-prone communities to enhance their resiliency and serve as model communities that we plan to replicate to any other community in the Philippines through fund-growth strategies beyond the initial Tevelson Grant Fund above.
Our strategy is a policy-driven two-pronged approach, utilizing education and technology, while maximizing citizen participation through volunteerism. We plan to encourage Seafarers, who are well versed in disaster preparedness and management, to serve as the core elements needed in developing a program involving Master Trainers and Practitioners of Disaster Preparedness to serve the communities. We plan to utilize smart enabling technologies to deploy predictive analytics tools to provide fact-based, critical, and just-in-time information for decision support and also deploy a community-based mobile app for information dissemination and a platform for government-citizen collaboration.
“We are honored to have played a catalytic role in the launch of Project RISE, a binational partnership in support of resilience-building in the Philippines. Heartfelt thanks to the Project Handclasp Foundation, and to the leadership of SDI and PTC for turning this remarkable initiative into a reality.”
- AMB John Maisto, President, US-Philippines Society
SDI, based in Falls Church, VA, helps transform communities into Smart Communities addressing sustainability and resiliency issues through policy-driven technology solutions to improve the quality of life of its citizens.
The PTC Group, based in Manila, has emerged beyond crew management to offer an integrated value chain of services which include Shipping, Real Estate, Energy, Hospitality and Leisure, Aviation, and International Professional Placement. One of its key missions is to transform and empower communities through education in order to promote quality of life and a sustainable environment.
The US-Philippines Society, based in Washington DC, builds upon the rich and longstanding historical ties between the United States and the Philippines, bridging gaps and fostering collaboration between US and Philippine-based entities that benefit the American public and the people of the Philippines.
Contacts:
Roberto Llames, President, SDI
P: +1 833 777 6278 x700 E: rllames@sdinst.org
MGEN Restituto Padilla (Ret), Program Director, PTC
P: +63 917 8559369 E: rpadilla@ptc.com.ph
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