Philippines: New media, modern IT as tools to address challenges, impacts of climate change and natural disasters

Legazpi City – Authorities of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management need to make use or utilize opportunities brought about by new technologies to confront the challenges and impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

In the recently concluded Conference of South Luzon Communicators Network (SolComNet) in Baguio City, Usec. Jan Co Chua of Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) said planners and decision makers from the national and local government, among other stakeholders, have since been cognisant of the changes in weather patterns that beget a devastating impact on mankind and the call to address these challenges needs new tools and strategies in terms of preparedness, response and mitigation.

Chua noted that the alarming changes in weather conditions compel us to unlearn our long-held ideas in weather and disaster preparedness, adding that the environment in which weather transpires is no longer the same.

“We have to adapt to what we call the ‘new normal’, we have to plan and act differently in the wake of disaster preparedness and response relearning the science of weather and develop new strategies to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters,” he explained.

Chua said the new technology can play a very significant role in confronting the ‘new normal’ brought about by climate change, that is, changing the way individuals and communities help each other in times of need.

“New media and modern information technology provide us with different opportunities to not only help survivors but also develop effective disaster preparedness and response strategies,” he added.

The PCOO officials cited measures carried out during the post typhoon Yolanda utilizing the new media and modern information technology to respond to the needs of survivors from communicating to their loved ones within and outside the typhoon-devastated areas and connect them anew to the outside.

It has been long since, according to the official, that the government kept itself attuned to the technology and trends on line to carry out communication strategies in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

The government, he said, made use of hashtag (#), utilize facebook page like the Official Facebook Page of the President and infographics, among others to inform, educate and communicate, much as to engage communities in government initiatives to save more lives in the wake of threat and adverse impacts of natural disasters.

Chua furthered that the government has since been using open data and open source web applications the likes of Google Person Finder that provided registry and message board for survivors and relatives to communicate in times of disasters.

“This provided a big help to NDRRMC and other agencies to their response measures in various places during the recent disasters that hit the country,” he observed.

Chua also cited the different on line applications adopted by the DOST-PAGASA like the Project NOAH or Nationwide Operational assessment of Hazards that has changed the way Filipinos prepared and responded to disasters.

In Albay, according to Chua, the provincial government implements its own disaster risk reduction and management application dubbed PINDOT or Provincial Information Network on Disaster Occurences and Threats, that has since played a critical role of the highly successful “Zero Casualty” goal.

“With the new applications and information portals, we are now better prepared with sufficient knowledge on the routes we will be taking and the threats wee need to avoid during extreme weathers and other natural disasters,” he stressed.

“We need to make use of the new media and modern information technology with the thrust of cultivating a culture of preparedness and safety among our people… organize and mobilize communities and network of advocates and volunteers to face and address the challenges of climate change and impacts of disasters that in the end will help us make the goal of “Zero Casualty” a new norm,” Chua concluded.

The PIA Southern Luzon Cluster and the SolComNet spearheaded a conference of information and advocacy officers aims to heighten awareness on climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness and response in the Southern Luzon area towards achieving zero casualties in times of disaster and other emergencies.

The conference evolved with the theme “Using Information Technology and Other Tools to Enhance Disaster Preparedness and Response”. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)