Philippine Business for Social Progress

In the aftermath of Tropical Storm “Sendong”—with its staggering death toll now nearing 1,500 and the affected families now numbering 113,000—appeals for more support have led to cancellation of parties and to a call to turn cash for fireworks into cash for the victims, many of whom were left with nothing.  All of us, let’s heed this call.

As a victim myself of Typhoon “Ondoy” in 2009, I know that our country’s bayanihan spirit is alive and well. When disaster strikes, even the poor are willing to donate what they can because, as many of them explained, they too were once victims and the help did come. Many are willing to volunteer—like the psychologists who flew into Cagayan de Oro and Iligan at their own expense—just because their services are needed.

When government resources are stretched beyond limit in times of disaster, the private sector often responds to fill in the gaps. The three pillars of “better disaster response” have always been government, civil society and business. And if they can achieve even better coordination, develop efficient systems and agree on needed protocols, then the resultant synergy will help save more lives. Achieving such synergy is also extremely important in “leveling up” our disaster preparedness and this must become our shared New Year’s resolution.

When I was asked what Makati Business Club (MBC) was doing for Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, my usual answer was that our members were already doing what they needed to do through either the Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR) or the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP). This best illustrates an important aspect of the needed synergy. In the business community, we must work through existing networks already set up for disaster response. No need to reinvent the wheel. No sense in going solo. Together we achieve greater—and the needed—impact.