ANZ Tackles Calamity Management by Frank Banaria
On February 11, 2020, I attended my first ANZCHAM forum for the year on behalf of John Clements Consultants, Inc. It was a very timely discussion, given all that has been happening around the world, and more importantly, within the Philippines since January.
Gregory Wyatt, Director for Business Intelligence at PSA Philippines Consultancy, Inc., spoke about assessing business risks and the needed preparations for major calamities.
Allow me to share some key insights from Gregory’s talk that I think would be helpful knowledge to the public.
1. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) is most deadly when it overwhelms the healthcare system of an area: containment fails and the virus gets out into the viral ecosystem. The virus is moving slower than it did without public health interventions in Hubei. It is time to escalate public health interventions before the healthcare system is overwhelmed.
2. The Big One- It should be a priority in long-term business planning in Metro Manila. It is a priority for long-time safety and security managers, embassies, and the NDRRMC. Even though structural damage is projected to be minimal, there will still be a lot of debris and fire outbreaks to deal with. The issue will definitely play a part in the isolation of the workforce and damage to infrastructure and communications.
3. Currently, government response is decentralized across different agencies and levels of government. There are known gaps in government response, contingency planning and communication. Preparation varies heavily between different local government agencies.
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About the author:
Frank is an AB Mass Communications graduate of the University of Perpetual Help in Las Pinas. During his college years, he was active in sports and socioeconomic activities that helped sharpen his wit and shape his business acumen. Although his love for film making did not waver, logic and practicality made him set his sights on other opportunities that could provide better career growth and, at the same time, put his social and business skills to good use. Immediately after college, Frank entered the Business Process Outsourcing industry. Later on, this journey led him to the HR industry, where he has been for several years now.
