NAGA CITY (PIA) -- A Center for Safety and Resiliency (Cesar) will soon rise in Balatas New Development Area in this city which will also serve as the new headquarters of the Public Safety Office, Central Communications Office, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

During the ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday, November 9, Mayor Nelson Legacion said that the P275 million facility will be constructed in  three-phases.

The Center will feature state-of-the-art public safety command and control technology and will be rated to withstand risk and threats posed by natural and man-made hazards.

Both the city councilor and mayor Legacion expressed their gratitude to Senator Joel Villanueva who promised continuous funding for  the Cesar buildings, as well as the assistance of private groups championing disaster management and risk reduction.

“These development changes are manifestations of a local government that is people-centered and is now being affirmed as the most competitive component for three consecutive years in the entire country,” Del Rosario said.

Mayor Nelson Legacion said the Cesar will be serving Nagueños with a unified command center integrating the functions of various government agencies in securing public safety, peace and order, and disaster management for a coordinated response mechanism and interoperability among the respondents.

The creation of this disaster response infrastructure was the byproduct of an ordinance authored by Councilor Joselito Del Rosario in 2016. He said that this project will also provide employment and long-term socio-economic development in the city.

Disaster response using innovative science & technology

The mayor considered this infrastructure as an historical undertaking because of the use of information and communications technology and security systems (ICTS) to interlink facilities for seamless data exchange, improved response operation, and early warning systems.

Cesar has three main features of ICTS.

First, the situational analysis platform. It has intelligence features to provide information from CCTVs and censors to a single centralized interface through video and mapping solutions with accurate rendering of data systems and traffic management.

Second, the collaboration and command room where all communication, control and deployment of resources for all events and incidents reports take place. It has video room management, telephoning system, mobile, digital radio, high definition surveillance and social media system.

Thirdly, its data control center which is the repository of all data equipped with servers and appliances like audio and video processors, cyber security system, satellite model, Predictive Analysis Collaboration Object system, and uninterruptible power supply.

Public safety complex for resilient-driven communities

In the public safety complex where Cesar will stand, new offices and buildings of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) as well as the Naga City Police Office and the Crime Laboratory will also soon be constructed.

BFP Bicol Regional Director Ricardo Perdigon said he is looking forward to the new BFP station in Naga City. Modernized facilities, more rescue and fire trucks for the Nagueños will be expected alongside the new BFP building in Balatas, Naga City.

On the other hand, National Resilience Council Chair Silvestre Barrameda also delivered a virtual message during the ceremony. “The establishment of CESAR is the culmination of unity among stakeholders for the resilience of Naga City,” he said.

Barrameda also commended the synergy and convergence of efforts and initiatives in this city to enhance risk governance and capacity from the provincial level down to the barangays. “Together, we can create a model for other communities to follow, especially in the Bicol region,” he said. (PIA5/Camarines Sur)