From cacao farmers to women weavers, PLDT-Smart Foundation steers Odette-hit communities to long-term economic recovery

Ma. Esther O Santos, PSF President puts a QR tag in a cacao tree during the Cacao Rehabilitation Training in Carmen, Bohol

As 2023 begins, PLDT and Smart’s social outreach arm, PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) rounds up its support to help ensure the long-term economic recovery of communities severely affected by super typhoon Odette in December 2021.  

“A year after Odette, we remain committed towards helping communities rebuild their lives through our recovery programs on livelihood, healthcare, disaster resilience, and education. Together with the rest of Tulong Kapatid (TK), the consortium of MVP-led foundations, PSF was able to fulfill this mission before the end of 2022,” said Esther Santos, PSF President.


Fisherfolk from the 2nd District of Bohol receive their new fishing boats from PSF.

PSF partnered with FiberHome Technologies and Fleet of Hope to provide 12 fishing boats to Sta. Monica and General Luna, Surigao del Norte, plus solar lamps from One Meralco Foundation.

Twenty boats were also distributed to communities in the 2nd district of Bohol, in partnership with Cong. Vanessa Aumentado, to help strengthen their economic resilience through sustainable fishing.

PSF Team, AKFI with The Weaves Are Us during the turnover of sewing machines.

Through Woman in Action Gretchen Ho, PSF delivered 100 bicycles to Surigao del Norte, of which fifty were turned over to the provincial government for a bike-sharing cooperative, and fifty were distributed to selected beneficiaries from each of the nine municipalities. Additional units of Hospital-in-a-Bike, packaged with a First Responder training in partnership with Makati Medical Center Foundation and Maynilad were also donated to each municipality.  

The City Government of Tagbilaran in Bohol also received 50 bikes from PSF for residents’ transportation through a bike-sharing app. Maynilad, as part of this initiative, also installed a water fountain.

The City of Tagbilaran in Bohol headed by Mayor Jane Yap (3rd from Left) receives the bikes from PSF.

To help strengthen community resilience, PSF donated PLDT and Smart Ligtas Kits, an all-in-one emergency communications package, to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Pilar, Surigao del Norte.

The TK group conducted medical missions in Burgos and General Luna. School supplies and learning materials were also donated to Del Carmen through Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. Happy Eskwela program.

Provincial Government of Surigao Del Norte, headed by Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers (6th from Left) receives the bikes from PSF, Maynilad, AKFI and Woman in Action Gretchen Ho

In partnership with Ginto Chocolates, PSF assisted small-holder cacao farmer cooperatives through capacity-building on cacao rehabilitation and production using sustainable farming technology. This was supported by Huawei Technologies who donated tablets to participating farmers for production monitoring.

As an additional support, PSF and Maynilad will also construct a training center, wash and drinking areas for the farmers of Liboron Organic Farmers and Cacao Growers Association in Calape, Bohol.

PSF President Ma. Esther Santos demonstrates the use of PLDT-Smart Ligtas Kit to Surigao Del Norte Gov. Robert Barbers.

“We are grateful for PSF’s support towards improving the livelihood of our farmers. This will open more opportunities for us here,” said Cecilia de Leon, President of Liboron Organic Farmers and Cacao Growers Association.

Women weavers from The Weaves Are Us of Tubigon, Bohol also received three sewing machines from PSF to help their production and increase livelihood opportunities for women.

Fisherfolks from Sta. Monica in Siargao receives their fishing boats from PLDT-Smart Foundation and Fiberhome.

PSF also distributed over 13,600 relief goods to communities affected by Typhoons Agaton and Paeng, Mt. Bulusan eruption, and the North Luzon earthquake. More than 2,500 boxes of multivitamins were provided nationwide and nearly 300 Smart LTE pocket WiFi with P705,000 worth of load cards given to students and schools as part of PSF's longstanding commitment to help communities.