Mama Miah!

In a move to advance disaster resilience and sustainable development in the Philippines, the B2B arm of the largest telco in the country, PLDT Enterprise, and PLDT’s wireless arm, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), have announced their latest collaboration with the global humanitarian organization People in Need (PIN). This partnership underlines a shared commitment to harnessing innovative technology to enhance disaster preparedness and response in Mindanao, focusing on the Strengthening Resilience Through Early Action and Impact Mitigation (STREAM) Project.

The STREAM Project, funded by the GSMA Innovation Fund for Anticipatory Humanitarian Action and supported by the UK International Development from the UK government, aims to revolutionize local impact forecasting and early warning systems in 12 municipalities across the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Maguindanao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur in Mindanao. These areas, identified as high-risk for flooding, will benefit from the integration of PLDT and Smart's advanced Smart Internet of Things (IoT) SIM and Smart Messaging Suite.

Roberto W. Suzon, PLDT Enterprise Corporate Relationship Business Head for Northern Mindanao, highlighted the significance of this collaboration:

“Our partnership with People in Need is more than just a technological endeavor; it's a commitment to safeguarding communities and empowering them with the tools they need to mitigate the impact of natural calamities. By leveraging PLDT's reliable fiber connectivity and Smart's cutting-edge solutions, we are setting a new standard in disaster preparedness and resilience.”

The Smart IoT SIMs will be instrumental in remotely monitoring water levels in flood-prone areas, ensuring timely data transmission to PIN's servers for accurate forecasting. Meanwhile, the Smart Messaging Suite will play a crucial role in disseminating vital information and evacuation alerts to vulnerable communities, enhancing their capacity to respond effectively to imminent threats.

Alfred Mark Rosete, Early Warning Systems (EWS) Program Manager for People in Need, expressed his enthusiasm for the project's potential:

“With the support of PLDT Enterprise and Smart, we are poised to make a significant impact on the lives of those in the most at-risk communities in Mindanao. The STREAM Project embodies our vision of a world where technology and innovation go hand in hand with humanitarian efforts to build a safer, more resilient future for all.”

Additionally, under its disaster resilience advocacy, Smart also recently engaged with PIN during the GSMA's Humanitarian Connectivity Charter (HCC) Asia-Pacific workshops held in Clark, Pampanga, attended by ASEAN delegates. Smart was among the first operators in the world to adopt the principles of the HCC, when it was launched in 2015. The HCC is a set of principles and best practices reached collaboratively between mobile network operators (MNOs) on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a sudden onset emergency.

These engagements underscore the PLDT Group's longstanding #SafeandSmart advocacy, which promotes preparedness and immediate response through network resilience, continuous availability of communication services, mobile solutions and activities, and relief assistance to help communities mitigate disaster risks. Through initiatives like the PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kit program, which has already equipped 10 Mindanao provinces with comprehensive emergency communications packages, the telco group reaffirms their commitment to a disaster-resilient Mindanao.

As PLDT Enterprise and Smart continue to explore new frontiers in the role of technology in disaster resilience and climate action, their collaboration with PIN sets a precedent for how the private sector and the humanitarian community can come together to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time and contribute towards achieving UNSDG No. 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and UNSDG No. 13: Climate Action. Recognizing climate as one of the top risks in the Philippines and across the PLDT Group, PLDT Enterprise and Smart continue to integrate climate risk management into their network architecture, operations, and customer solutions. The Group leverages its leading technology and digital solutions to help boost adaptation, and resilience of communities most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

“Always moving further, together with our partners, PLDT Enterprise remains steadfast in its vision to not only advance the business landscape but to foster a community where progress and resilience go hand in hand. Our partnership with People in Need is a testament to our commitment to leveraging technology for the greater good, ensuring businesses and communities alike are better equipped, more connected, and infinitely stronger. With every step, we aim to redefine the boundaries of innovation and collaboration, ensuring that every advancement we make is better for business and transformative for society. Together, we journey towards a future where every challenge is met with a smart, sustainable solution, furthering our collective impact, and driving us towards a brighter, more resilient tomorrow,” concluded Suzon.

Madiskarte Moms PH Community Celebrates three years of supporting Filipino Mompreneurs with Gawad Madiskarte 2023

The community of women entrepreneurs, Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) is bringing back Gawad Madiskarte to honor outstanding mompreneurs with over P1 million worth of prizes including ASUS laptops, PLDT Homebroadband connection, one-year Canva Pro subscriptions, cash, and mentorship.

The awards showcase the success stories of mompreneurs who have subverted conventional expectations to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit. Their businesses are innovative, creative, and run by very hardworking women who do double duty as the glue that holds the family together, runs their household and their business.

Major categories for this year’s Gawad Madiskarte include Diskarteng Angat (Fastest-Growing Business), Diskarteng Digital (Best Multi-Channel Business), and Diskarteng May Puso (Best Social Enterprise). Two major winners per category will be chosen from the Startup Division and Scale Up Division. The former are home or online businesses that recently started and show great potential. At the same time, the latter are businesses that have been running for at least 13 months and are registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Special awards will also be given to three deserving finalists. These awards are Diskarteng Malikhain (Most Creative Business Branding), Diskarteng Pasulong (Most Innovative Product), and Diskarteng Home Biz (Mompreneurs’ Choice Award).

Chosen by industry luminaries

The judges for this year’s Gawad Madiskarte come from the business, telco, communications, and creative industries. Maxine Loyola, AVP & Head of PLDT Home Marketing Public Relations, Influencer Marketing, and Brand Advocacies, has launched the biggest marketing campaigns for the Philippine Internet—from dial-up to prepaid internet cards, DSL, and finally the Fiber broadband we enjoy today.

Joining her are entrepreneurs Jorge Wieneke and Jenny Wieneke, who are Mr. and Mrs. Negosyo and PLDT Home Biz ambassadors. Jorge is a GoNegosyo Angelpreneur who serves as a consultant to aspiring and starting entrepreneurs all over the country; he also created Kalye Negosyo, a mentoring program for budding entrepreneurs. Jenny is an advertising expert with over 30 years of experience building brands and has been a PCE-GoNegosyo mentor since 2015. Entrepreneur Janine Khazaiealiabady, owner of Massage MNL, started her career at a fast food and moved to marketing and online commerce before founding Massage MNL five years ago.

From the creative and marketing industries, the judges are Donna Nievera-Conda, Maisie Littaua, and Marjorie Barretto. 

Nievera-Conda leads the integrated marketing communications agency Stratworks as President and co-CEO, and ID8, a digital publishing agency.

Littaua is the Head of Growth for Canva Philippines, a free online visual communication and collaboration platform launched in 2013. Today, Canva has grown to over 135 million monthly active users across 190 countries, with more than 200 designs created per second.

Barretto, actress, and entrepreneur, launched her own online home and clothing brand Everything Avery during the pandemic and opened her stunning River Garden Rest House for private rentals—a true-blue madiskarte mom.

Winners of this year’s Gawad Madiskarte will receive a trophy created by sculptor Ram Mallari, who works with discarded metal and forms them into provocative works of art in the steampunk style.

Mallari grew up in an impoverished district of Manila with his mother, whom he describes as “madiskarte,” and dedicates his Gawad Madiskarte design to all mompreneurs and his own mother.

Celebrating three years of supporting Filipino mompreneurs

Gawad Madiskarte also ushers in the third year of Madiskarte Moms PH as it welcomes more members to its current 162,000-strong base. An online community, MMPH manages a Facebook group and YouTube channel that gives valuable insights into finding business opportunities for all moms, whether they are stay-at-home or have day jobs and are looking for a side hustle to augment the family income.

MMPH’s online platforms also showcase the success stories of their members and how they can take advantage of social media to market and sell their products. But beyond digital interactions, MMPH is fostering economic growth in communities by nurturing a generation of mompreneurs who contribute to everyone’s success.

Mompreneurs are doers, a force for positive change and empowerment. Two of the most heartfelt messages from their stories are that opportunities are everywhere and that inspiration can come from one’s experience.

Their stories are all different and the women take different paths to get their businesses off the ground and scale up. But one thing that threads these experiences together is an openness to learn and to be part of a community that celebrates all their efforts and ideas.

“Our small business has become our primary source of income,” one mom said. “With it, we are able to pay our bills every month and even have some savings.”

We all can learn lessons from these inspiring moms, and Gawad Madiskarte urges us to celebrate them all.

Know more about Gawad Madiskarte and the inspiring moms of Madiskarte Moms PH by visiting pldthome.info/GawadMadiskarteAwards2023.