CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) — The MIMAROPA region will soon have two Government Emergency Communications Systems – Mobile Operations Vehicle for Emergencies (GECS-MOVE) from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to ensure a continuous flow of information and communication during a disaster.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas of the Philippine Information Agency, on November 19, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) MIMAROPA Regional Director Emmy Lou V. Delfin said that a plan is underway for the procurement of two GECS-MOVE for the MIMAROPA region next year.
She said that the GECS-MOVE initiative is a critical component of the DICT’s disaster response framework. It is designed to provide immediate and reliable communication capabilities in areas affected by calamities, where conventional communication infrastructures are often rendered inoperable.
Delfin said that GECS-MOVE has been instrumental in supporting local governments in their disaster preparedness and response efforts.
“In fact, yung mga recent na mga bagyo, lalo na itong recent sa Bicol ang nagdala talaga doon upang magkaroon ng communication is DICT’s GECS-MOVE, kasi kasama yan sa priority namin na magkaroon ng GECS-MOVE na mga sasakyan para anytime na kailangang puwede na sila pumunta to dispatch them kapag nagkaroon ng mga insidente na walang kuryente, walang signal, ‘yun po ang goal namin sa DICT,” she said.
She revealed that recent deployments of GECS-MOVE include the relief operations in Bicol province affected by the recent typhoons, citing that these deployments enabled seamless coordination among rescue teams, aid agencies, and local government units, which accelerated the delivery of assistance to affected communities.
Delfin said that DICT plans to expand and enhance the GECS-MOVE program, including upgrading its technology to keep pace with the growing complexity of disaster scenarios.
Although met with financial constraints and challenges, Delfin is hopeful that LGUs will support this initiative to mitigate the impacts during calamities and disasters.
“Yun yung challenge…we cannot bring one (GECS-MOVE) per barangay. For MIMAROPA, magkakaroon pa lang tayo next year kasi it’s also costly…yung investment. Pero sana kung mag co-invest ang LGUs, kailangan namin ng budget for that na sana nga may naka-standby per province, ideally per town,” Delfin said. (JJGS/PIA MIMAROPA-Oriental Mindoro)
