Skip to playerSkip to main content
OCD strengthens early warning systems for remote communities

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)ramps up digital tools and communication strategies to improve disaster response in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), Spokesman Junie Castillo said during a local governance forum in Pasig City on Feb. 11, 2026. Castillo said the OCD, in coordination with regional offices and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), provides critical disaster information to local government units to help communities prepare for hazards such as typhoons, floods, and storm surges.

VIDEO BY JAMES DANIO

Check out our Streaming Channel: https://streaming.manilatimes.net/

Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe

Visit our website at [https://www.manilatimes.net](https://www.manilatimes.net/)

Follow us:
Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook
Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram
Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter
DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion

Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital

Check out our Podcasts:
Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify
Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts
Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic
Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer
Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein

#TheManilaTimes
#TMTNews
#Pasig
#Philippines
Transcript
00:00So, from the national, we provide them to our regional offices and through the ILG also, of course.
00:07And then we provide those informations to the local government units.
00:11But talking about early warning system, recently we had discussions at the OCB and also at the NRC level
00:20of the early warning information that has to be cascaded down to the last mile.
00:27So, that's why I mentioned the GIDA areas.
00:33This is data, I think, late 2023, through DOH and DSWD, we are trying to get the data-data of
00:42the GIDA areas.
00:43We have seen data like 7,000 to 10,000 GIDA areas, GIDA, still, in the Philippines.
00:52So, imagine, take for example, during Typhoon 1.
00:55That was Super Typhoon 1.
00:57We have identified that there are about 80 million exposed to flooding, coastal storm surges.
01:04And then, so, our preemptive measures was to do preemptive evacuations.
01:10Our goal always for the government, especially LGUs and NRC, is for zero casualty.
01:18So, we were able to do a lot of preemptive evacuations.
01:24There were casualties still.
01:26The casualties still came from Atlanta, KIDA area, meaning they were not able to get those information.
01:38All they probably heard, I don't know, for, like, typhoons, storm surges.
01:46There are landslides also.
01:48In those areas, from the DNR Mines and Geosciences Bureau, those areas are also identified as rain-induced landslide-bound
01:56areas.
01:56But the information didn't get to the last mile, even in areas like, well, a mayor ko from Maspati City
02:05is here.
02:06And in that same context, Mayor Arako is here.
02:10And in that context, we have a lot of coastal areas, but we also have upland areas.
02:16And that same context is the same in most of the island regions, island provinces in the country.
02:22So, union challenges, you have GIDA areas that you have to reach those information.
02:28So, that's why I was mentioning, because of that discussion, that we would want to map those areas that are
02:36blind spots, GIDA, well-and-communication, most cell phone areas.
02:39That could come from young Jews, that could come from the ACT, that could come from Telcos also, for us
02:46to be able to identify, where are these blind spots, right?
02:50So, to add to that, or to add emphasis to that, what we are saying is that you already have
02:59all the information, thank God, it's 2020, OCD has already collated all those, with all the help from PDRF as
03:06well.
03:07But the thing is, you cannot warn those who do not have any way of getting the information.
03:13And like before, we don't have the early warning systems in place for the information, but now you have that.
03:20The problem is, get the message across, is that right?
03:25And to mention also, why we would want to do that, is because we wanted to have that redundancy for
03:30communication, right?
03:33Can that be, like, we're doing repeaters, hand-hand radios, even if we have the cell phones, we have the
03:37satellite phones, right?
03:39Because we would want to map out, really, what are the redundancies that we can do in all of these
03:43areas.
03:44Before I go to, how is the, how is the, how is the...
03:50From the door, how is the signal?
04:19You
Comments

Recommended