AirAsia has granted nearly US$10,000 to the Philippines’ Bike Scouts to support their disaster preparedness program, ahead of the upcoming typhoon season. The grant was announced on Friday, 15th November, just as the Philippines prepared for super-typhoon Man-yi.
AirAsia Philippines chief executive Ricky Isla said: “Each year the Philippines is visited by an average of 20 typhoons, which have left devastating impacts on communities, taking away precious lives and properties. This partnership between Bike Scouts and AirAsia Foundation is a testament of our commitment to supporting local communities in our destinations in building disaster resilience and taking climate action.”
Bike Scouts founder Myles Delfin added: “This grant is important to us as it allows our local teams in the most disaster vulnerable areas to be trained and be ready for the typhoon season. Building resilience is not a one time check-list, it requires constant effort and we’re thankful to have AirAsia’s support in this journey.”
The funds will be used to organize disaster resilience workshops for over 200 responders in typhoon-risk areas, covering emergency response, communication, disaster monitoring, and bicycle safety.
Training will take place in Manila, Cebu, and provinces like Ilocos Norte and Eastern Samar, with a standby fund set aside for storm survivor assistance.
