To ensure fast, reliable, and efficient disaster response, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Emmanuel A. Leyco said that the DSWD Field Office (FO) V is ready to deploy its Rapid Emergency Telecommunications Team (RETT) if the situation created by the potential full-scale eruption of Mayon volcano aggravates.
The RETT team is equipped with various satellite communications equipment provided by Inmarsat and the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA).
OIC Leyco said that during emergencies, quick and reliable communication systems are very important. He said that communities should always be within communication reach so they can report developments and issue calls for help as soon as it is needed.
“We can coordinate relief and rescue efforts faster and more efficiently when we are in constant communication with affected communities and local authorities and response units. We are positive that with the communications equipment, our coordination with our Quick Response Teams (QRTs) deployed on the ground will be reliable and uninterrupted,” OIC Leyco said.
Under the UKSA International Partnership Programme (IPP), the Bicol Region is one of the identified pilot areas for the emergency telecommunications system which includes the following: Global Xpress® terminals; Automatic-Pointing Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) terminals; Manual-Pointing BGANs terminals; and the latest ISat2 mobile satellite telephones.
Meanwhile, as of 2AM today, January 17, there are 8,296 families or 34,003 persons taking temporary shelter in 30 evacuation centers set up by concerned local government units (LGUs) while 1,184 families or 4,936 persons are staying with their relatives. The number of affected barangays has increased to 36.
Meanwhile, the Department has already provided P451,000 worth of resource augmentation to the LGU of Legazpi City for their affected constituents.Aside from the prepositioning of goods and other relief resources in strategic locations in Bicol Region, the DSWD continues to monitor the situation in Albay and is on standby for augmentation support and other means of assistance to the affected municipalities.
“We want to assure our brothers and sisters in Albay that line agencies of the government including the DSWD are closely monitoring the situation they are facing and that we will do what we can to help them in their hour of need. We also continue to appeal to our partners and counterparts in the public and private sectors to support our efforts to help the people of Albay and help them cope with the emergency situation they are now confronted with,” OIC Leyco concluded. (DSWD-PR)
