LOPEZ-LED First Philippine Industrial Park, Inc. (FPIP) has tied up with the Philippine Red Cross to boost the country’s disaster response capability.
In a media release on Thursday, the ecozone developer said it had agreed with the humanitarian organization to jointly organize volunteers who will be trained to quickly respond to emergencies and disasters.
The Red Cross, through its Batangas Chapter Administrator Ronald G. Generoso, and FPIP, through Vice-President Ramon A. Carandang, signed a service agreement to implement the joint project, which will be in Tanauan City, Batangas.
The initiative aims to strengthen local disaster risk reduction and management system.
Under the agreement, the parties will help each other in mobilizing grassroots-level volunteers who will train and familiarize themselves with Red Cross programs, in particular, with the Red Cross 143 Program or RC143.
“Red Cross created RC143 to build community resilience where RC143 volunteers — composed of one leader and 43 members — serve as [its] eyes, ears, hands, and feet,” the release stated.
“The program aims to promote a culture of self-help in schools, workplaces, and communities by developing a network of Red Cross volunteers who will prepare for disasters and respond rapidly to emergencies,” it added.
FPIP is a subsidiary of the Lopez family’s First Philippine Holdings Corp., which along with Japanese partner Sumitomo Corp., created the ecozone developer as a location for global manufacturers and traders.
It also serves as a platform for creating jobs for ordinary Filipinos and tax revenues for the government.