Philippines: PIA now clearing house of disaster alerts

PIA press release by Cristina Arzadon

Laog City - Government disaster agencies have recognized the information capability of the Philippine Information Agency after the threat of tsunami caused by the powerful earthquake that ravaged Japan in March.

Director General Jose Fabia said a government protocol was crafted among the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, the National Telecommunications Commission and the Presidential Communications Operations Office through the PIA to implement public safety and disaster alerts in times of calamities and disasters.

Fabia advised PIA regional directors and information center managers during the management conference held in Quezon City last week to redirect their efforts towards responding to the protocol.

“We need to get those messages delivered in our areas. We have been given much and much is expected of us,” Fabia said during the management conference.

“After the tsunami alert (from the Japan earthquake), government agencies now want us to be the source of calamity alerts,” he said.

Fabia said the PIA messages should get maximum exposure using media and social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Based on the protocol, the PIA has been designated as clearing house of disaster and calamity alerts coming from the NDRRMC.

In times of typhoons, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and other disaster situations for example, the NDRRMC alerts government agencies on the report and transmit the information to PIA.

Fabia said the PIA will help the NDRRMC validate the information before that latter crafts the government’s official advisory. The advisory will then be forwarded to the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC).

The NTC, in turn, will send advisories to all telephone companies namely Digitel/Sun, globe, and PLDT/Smart. The Telcos will then send official text messages to their subscribers via the official number 1456. (ANL/CCA-PIA 1 Ilocos Norte)