ILOILO City – Boosting regional emergency preparedness, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) handed over a P50-million Mobile Operations Vehicle for Emergency (MOVE) to its Western Visayas office.
The vehicle, presented during a formal turnover ceremony yesterday, is designed to respond to all types of disasters.
“We need to be prepared and resilient during times of disaster. Having this equipment — a combination of communication tools and a vehicle — will greatly enhance the capabilities of our responders, enabling them to support the community effectively,” said Edgar Navarro, supervising director of Government Emergency Communication Systems at DICT central office.
The MOVE operation hub includes its own power system, which features a solar energy source capable of charging mobile devices and other ICT equipment.
The vehicle is central to an integrated communications system that coordinates with the Emergency Operations Center of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Camp Aguinaldo or the DICT central office in Quezon City, and the Regional DRRM Unit.
The MOVE can independently send critical information, such as the location of evacuation areas, warning messages, and public service announcements via text messages. It is supported by a specially equipped motorcycle that facilitates communication in hard-to-reach areas.
To ensure resilience and continuity in communication during disasters, the MOVE truck is equipped with a technology-based telecommunications system that includes radios on high, very high, and ultra-high frequencies, satellite phone, Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), microwave radio (IP), very small aperture terminal (VSAT), V/UHF repeater, access point/Wi-Fi, and a base transceiver station with 5G capability.
According to Navarro, the MOVE will be stationed at DICT Region 6 under the oversight of Regional Director Ralph Joseph C. Moncatar.
Operation of the vehicle will be managed by the Regional Government Emergency Telecommunication Team, which includes representatives from various government agencies involved in emergency preparedness and response.
Navarro visited Iloilo City to lead a communication simulation exercise with personnel from the city and provincial disaster risk reduction and management offices at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.
The event was aimed at training the staff on operating the MOVE and allowing them to experience firsthand the use of the equipment inside the vehicle.
Navarro said the decision to provide the MOVE to the region was driven by Western Visayas’ frequent exposure to typhoons./PN
