MANY RADIO and television stations and websites have done a great job in announcing and forwarding information about the Carina typhoon and flood victims who needed help.
Most social media networking sites were also very busy receiving and passing on the information, among them were Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik-Tok.
I also noticed that the people who needed help were calling and texting any number that they could find, among them the emergency contacts of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and even the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
I have observed, however, that all throughout the time-frame of the disaster, there was no single point of contact (SPOC) that disaster victims could call, regardless of who they are, regardless of where they are, and regardless of the means of communications that they had access to.
Conversely, there was no SPOC that could receive and process the incoming information so that these could be relayed to the various government agencies that needed them, such as the Office of the President, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Although it is very useful and convenient that social media and the mass media could assist in any way that they could, there is no existing system of collecting and integrating all the data that are being gathered by these many sources, considering the fact that the mandated government agencies could not listen to all of those media outlets all at the same time, so that they will not miss any call for help, regardless of where the victim is.
There is also a need for a call center that could never be busy regardless of how many people are calling.
In my career as an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professional, I have built systems that could be contacted via email, text, fax, landline, VHF/UHF radios, morse code and telex. That was before, but if I am to build a new one now, I would add satellite phones, Facebook Messenger, Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp, Skype, Signal and Lark.
That might sound like an overkill, but no one really knows what communications device the victims have in their hands, and the costs should not matter if it is a matter of life and death.
But why would I add satellite phones and VHF/UHF radios?
My answer to that is very simple. Despite our over dependence on mobile and internet means of communications, cellular signals are not always reliable especially in the provinces, and more especially so in case of natural and man-made disasters.
Although these two additional means might mean more expenses, I will repeat my reasoning that the costs should not matter if it is a matter of life and death./PN
