Digital tools for MSME disaster preparedness launched
The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), through the Philippine Preparedness Partnership (PhilPrep), launched Monday two new digital tools to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) improve their disaster preparedness programs.
The PDRF said the tools will serve as practical checklist instruments so MSME owners can “help them determine their readiness for different kinds of disruptions and to measure the effectiveness of having a business continuity plan.
The “Disaster Risk and Disaster Preparedness Needs Assessment Tool” and the “Business Continuity Capability Assessment Tool” are part of the Asian Preparedness Partnership Philprep, according to data released by PDRF.
The APP Philprep, supported by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is a localized tripartite platform represented by the Office of Civil Defense, private sectors under PDRF, and Center for Disaster Preparedness, representing the civil society.
The launch of the tools coincided with the annual celebration of MSME Day that recognized the contribution of small-time businesses to the global economy as well as in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
This year's MSME Day promoted resilience and rebuilding, supporting MSMEs as they navigate the impacts of the triple crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts, and climate crisis.
"MSMEs provide a livelihood for many of our fellow Filipinos. We need to help them recover from the Covid-19 pandemic,” Butch Meily, PDRF president, said in a statement.
The tools will help MSMEs gauge their vulnerability to disaster risks and ascertain their own needs in terms of knowledge, skills, and resources to avoid, reduce, or mitigate the impacts of disasters in their businesses, the PDRF said.
The tools and checklist for disaster preparedness were developed during a research conducted by the Social Development Research Center of De La Salle University-Manila and were based on interviews with business owners nationwide.
Both tools are now available on PDRF’s digital learning platform, iADAPT, and may be accessed by the general public.