As part of its enhanced efforts for disaster management and response under the new leadership, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), is operating its Emergency Operations Center for Disaster Response and its online version, the Virtual Operations Center (VOC) microsite accessible via the internet on a 24/7 basis to monitor the impact of ‘Habagat.’

DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo lauded the efforts of DReAMB  for  continuously monitoring and reporting situations of families affected by the heavy downpour and massive flooding.

The development of the operations center is in line with Section V, Rule III of the Implementing Rules and Regulation of  Republic Act 10121—otherwise known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010″ and in support to the Executive Order No. 2, series of 2016 of President Rodrigo R. Duterte entitled: “Operationalizing in the Executive Branch the People’s Constitutional Right to Information and the State Policies to Full Public Disclosure and Transparency in the Public Service and Providing Guidelines Therefore”.

Through this online facility, the DSWD is making available to the general public information on the DSWD’s disaster preparedness and response advocacies and efforts through the use of popular information and communication technologies (ICTs) that facilitate transparency and good governance.

The Virtual OpCen may be accessed through the DSWD website athttp://www.dswd.gov.ph or directly at http://dromic.dswd.gov.ph.

One of its features is predictive analytics and maps for situational awareness and visualization. For instance, a predictive analytic based on the 72-hour accumulated rainfall data from DOST-PAGASA, overlaid with the DENR-MGB Geo-hazards, indicates the vulnerability of 27 provinces in 9 regions (CAR, NCR, Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, V and VIII) to flooding and landslides should the monsoon rains continue for three (3) consecutive days non-stop. Based on this, the DSWD predicts an exposure of 809,811 families based on the 2015 PSA Population Census, and 94,922 poor families based on the 2016 DSWD Listahanan.

It also plots locations of evacuation centers in the disaster-affected areas.

Relief ops

Based on DSWD monitoring, as of 2pm today, a total of 23,462 families or 112,267 persons in 173 barangays were affected in Regions NCR, III, CALABARZON, VI and NIR. Region III registered with the most number of affected families at 10,573 with 50,682 persons.

A total of 10,752 families or 48,893 persons are still inside 113 evacuation centers (ECs) in NCR, Regions III, and IV-A (CALABARZON) while 2,901 families or 13,910 persons are outside ECs.

NCR has the most number of existing evacuation centers at 49 with 3,285 families/15,723 persons.

The Department has provided a total of ₱1,842,407.65 to the affected families in NCR. All other DSWD-FOs are ready to provide augmentation to affected LGUs, when necessary.

“Handa po ang Departamento na tumulong sa mga lokal na pamahalaan upang mabilis na mabigyan ng tulong ang mga apektadong mamamayan. Muli naming hinihimok ang ating mga kababayan na agad na ipagbigay alam ang kalagayan sa kanilang mga komunidad sa mga awtoridad (The DSWD is ready to assist the LGUs so as to speed-up the provision of assistance to the affected citizens. Again, we encourage our countrymen to immediately report to the authorities the situation in their communities.),” Sec. Taguiwalo stated. ###