DSWD Field Office 8, together with its partners in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), including the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), recently deployed two composite teams in key locations in Eastern and Northern Samar. These teams consist of staff from members of the NDRRMC, including DSWD, OCD, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and other partner agencies.
According to DSWD Regional Director Grace Subong, the ability to communicate is key during disaster response operations. “We already have staff on the ground, but there is a need for us to go to these provinces to establish communications. During the onset of disasters, communications become difficult. That is why we are deploying our Mobile Command Center. Because if we have communications systems in place, we would be able to coordinate faster with staff on the ground.”
The MCC houses satellite communications systems, which can be deployed in any disaster-affected area and can be used to gather information and coordinate disaster response efforts.
