AirAsia, through its philanthropic arm AirAsia Foundation, has awarded a PHP562,750 (approximately US$10,000) grant to the Philippines’ grassroots emergency response network, Bike Scouts. The funding aims to enhance disaster preparedness during the typhoon season, which poses significant risks to vulnerable communities across the country.
The grant will support Bike Scouts in organizing disaster resilience workshops for over 200 volunteer responders in areas prone to typhoons. These sessions will focus on critical skills such as emergency response, radio communication, disaster monitoring, and bicycle safety and maintenance. Training will take place in Manila, Cebu, and other high-risk provinces, including Ilocos Norte, Benguet, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, and Eastern Samar. In addition, a portion of the grant will be allocated to a standby fund for accessing storm-isolated survivors.
Founded in 2013, Bike Scouts is a volunteer-driven disaster monitoring platform with a membership base of over 100,000 across the Philippines. Leveraging bicycles to navigate inaccessible areas during emergencies, the organization has assisted over 700,000 people across 10 natural disasters in the past decade.
“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 to our commitment to supporting local communities in our destinations in building disaster resilience and taking climate action,” according to Ricky Isla, CEO of AirAsia Philippines.
Bike Scouts Founder Myles Delfin emphasized the significance of the grant, stating, “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 initiative comes as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecasts up to 14 tropical cyclones from August to December 2024. Efforts like this are crucial in fortifying the disaster response capabilities of at-risk communities amid the growing impacts of climate change.
This partnership underscores the importance of community-led solutions and corporate support in fostering climate resilience and disaster readiness.