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| Kapangan, Benguet Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer II Erick Abangley (Image Source: MegaBites/PLDT Inc.) |
In the mountainous municipality of Kapangan, Benguet, every storm once carried uncertainty. Now, it carries proof of what preparedness can do. Nestled among rugged terrain and terraced farms, Kapangan is no stranger to risk. Landslides triggered by heavy rains, frequent earthquakes, and sudden road blockages have long threatened to isolate entire barangays, cutting off access to aid, services, and life-saving information. For years, reaching remote communities — especially those in signal “dead spots” — meant physically traveling just to deliver warnings. Critical time was often lost when it mattered most. Today, that reality has changed.
At the center of this transformation is Erick Abangley, Kapangan’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer II, who has seen firsthand how stronger communication can turn vulnerability into resilience. Their town was one of the first recipients of the PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit back in 2024. Abangley shared, “Consistent na nag-zero casualty or zero dead sa amin. Kasi at least mayroon kami yung Ligtas Kit, malaking tulong na yan para ma-meet natin yung zero casualty [rate] sa aming bayan.” The PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit is an all-in-one emergency communications solution designed to provide reliable connectivity in times of disaster. The Kapangan local DRRMO used the mobile phone included in the Ligtas Kit as their dedicated hotline, megaphones, crank radio, whistles, flashlights, portable power station, and solar panel. It enabled responders to coordinate quickly, issue timely warnings, and sustain operations even during power outages or infrastructure disruptions. The Ligtas Kit, together with its bundled emergency communications training module for beneficiaries, are part of PLDT and Smart’s broader #KonnektedforResilience advocacy that promotes a culture of preparedness and resilience, before, during and after disasters. To date, 75 Ligtas Kits have been deployed nationwide — from Batanes to Pag-asa Island to Jolo — giving communities the tools and the training they need to stay prepared and resilient. For Kapangan, the shift began with something simple yet transformative: connection. Abangley explained, “Yung unang-una po kasi wala po kami ng hotline noon. Kaya noong nakita namin at least nabigyan kami ng hotline. Yun ang mostly ginagamit namin for reporting, data gathering, and coordination with the barangays.”
With the Ligtas Kit supporting the municipality’s Emergency Operations Center, communication has become faster, more organized, and more reliable. Warnings and advisories reach barangays sooner, enabling quicker coordination and response. For communities once isolated by terrain and signal gaps, this has made a critical difference. Preparedness, too, has taken on new urgency. Kapangan continues to experience several storms each year, with landslides as a constant threat. But today, proactive measures — such as pre-emptive enforced evacuations and early warning systems — are carried out more efficiently because of stronger coordination across barangays. “Number one yung communication namin, coordination with the barangays, implementing our preemptive enforced evacuation, at yung mga megaphone for giving warnings sa community,” said Abangley. The kit’s reliable power sources also ensure operations continue during outages while its communication tools help guarantee that no community is left behind. But beyond the tools, Kapangan’s success is rooted in a shared mindset of resilience. For Abangley, resilience begins long before a storm arrives — with awareness, preparation, and participation from every member of the community. “Bago dumating yung bagyo, dapat tayo ay nakapaghanda na. Alamin natin kung saan yung mga hazard or risk areas.” This collective effort has transformed Kapangan from a high-risk municipality into one that consistently protects its people — proving that disaster outcomes can be changed with the right systems in place.
Across the country, PLDT and Smart continue to support local governments in strengthening disaster preparedness beyond connectivity. “Through solutions like the Ligtas Kit, we empower communities with critical communication capabilities that enable faster response and better coordination in times of crisis. We remain committed to supporting efforts that help build a safer and more resilient Philippines,” said PLDT and Smart First Vice President and Public Engagement Group Head Roby Alampay. Kapangan’s story is a quiet but powerful reminder that resilience is built not only through infrastructure or technology, but through people working together — prepared, informed, and ready to act. And in this town where storms still come, resilience means more than surviving disasters — it means making sure that every single time, everyone makes it home.
