Pacman to push disaster preparedness

MANILA, Philippines - World boxing icon and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) and the Hong Kong-based Prudence Foundation launched last week “Safe Steps,” a long-term disaster preparedness educational program that aims to help vulnerable communities in Asia become more resilient.

“Safe Steps” is a first-of-its-kind educational program through multiple platforms, including posters, handout cards, on-air videos and informative websites that are easily understood by way of pictures and diagrams in local languages.

The videos on typhoons, fires, floods and earthquakes, which feature Pacquiao giving advice on key survival steps that individuals and families can adopt before and when disaster strikes, will be aired across Asia by the NGC and 13 other international channels under the Fox International Channels.

The video content will be available in eight local languages – Bahasa Indonesia, Cantonese, Filipino, Malay, Chinese Mandarin, Thai, Vietnamese and Khmer.

In the Philippines, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council will adopt the program while the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board will have the videos shown in cinemas.

Marc Fancy, executive director of the Prudence Foundation, said Pacquiao was a natural choice to be the Safe Steps ambassador since he is well-known and the message he delivers would save lives and property.

“He is a survivor; he understands the impact of natural disaster first-hand coming from the Philippines. He is also an icon and a humanitarian,” Fancy said at the launching of the program at the Marriot Hotel in Pasay City.

Pacquiao said he readily agreed to help in the program, having personally witnessed the devastation left by Super Typhoon Yolanda and having experienced the additional pain felt by the poor when hit by calamities while growing up in his province.

“I personally believe this is an important campaign that can help save lives, not just in the Philippines, but the whole of Asia. With these tips, we all can be survivors,” he said.

Prudence Foundation is the charitable arm of Prudential in Asia and was established in 2011. It has a project building disaster-resilient houses in Bantayan Island in Cebu, which was also hit by Yolanda.