UK firm sends P100M for disaster, education

MANILA, Philippines - A British company has committed P100 million for three years of disaster preparedness initiatives among others in calamity-prone Philippines.

Prudence Foundation of insurance firm Pru Life UK is an apparent believer in  the adage "prevention is better than cure" by opting to support disaster risk reduction projects instead of carrying out post-disaster relief efforts, which are more commonly practiced by businesses' social responsibility arms, Plan International country director Carin Van der Hor said.

Van der Hor, whose organization has been working with Prudence Foundation for years, added that the funds will "help ensure that children and youth rights" such as survival, education and safety are met during disaster situations.

"More than 6,000 students and nearly 200 teachers are expected to benefit from our program with the Prudence Foundation," she said,

Such numbers are just among the 100,000 the foundation projects to benefit from the allotted fund.

Part of the funding will also go to programs on children and education, which, for Van de Hor, help children to rise from being victims of calamities to being "agents of change."

Pru Life UK Philippines chief executive Antonio Manuel de Rosas, citing an average of 20 tropical cyclones hitting the country, also said that such child-centered initiatives aim to help ensure the continuity of classes in schools in high prone communities.

"Being prepared for natural catastrophes is vital for us Filipinos," de Rosas said.

Recently visiting the Philippines to launch the foundation, Prudential Corporation Asia chief executive Barry Stowe believes, however, that the money is not the most important contribution of the company to local communities.

"We contribute (in disaster preparations) not just with financial resources. Lots of people can write checks; funding is very important but what is critical is we try to engage in the community," Stowe said.