Cellphone users to get free advisories on calamities
MANILA, Philippines—Mobile phone subscribers will soon be getting free text advisories about storms, earthquakes and even updates on the possible radiation fallout from Japan’s crippled nuclear power plants.
Major telecommunications companies Digitel-Sun, Globe and PLDT-Smart have linked up with the government to disseminate advisories and notices during calamities, disasters and emergencies to their subscribers via SMS, or text.
The idea is to circulate “accurate and timely advisories” and to counter hoax text messages that tend to stir panic among the texting public, telecom executives said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
“This will institute calm and instill confidence in our people that the government is on top of the situation, and that irresponsible hoaxes and other prank text will no longer be given credence,” said William Pamintuan, Sun-Digitel VP for legal affairs.
A hoax text about a possible leak from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in the aftermath of the catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami last March 11 was what brought the telecommunications companies and the government together.
“As a result of this partnership, we seek to attain the following objectives. First to avoid panic, lessen anxiety and build confidence among our people,” said Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma.
To differentiate it from hoax text, the text blast will come from 1456, the number of the official notification, said Coloma.
The text will carry advisories from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, among other agencies under the umbrella of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“We can actually localize the areas where we send the messages. If the area affected is only a small area, we can just send the messages in that particular local area so that we don’t necessarily panic the others that are not actually affected,” Pamintuan said.
Or it could also work the other way.
Anyone can report a situation like flooding, earthquake, tsunami or other calamity to the NDRRMC through its hotline numbers 911-1406, 912-2665 and 912-5668, said Coloma.
The NDRRMC will then transmit the information to concerned agencies, say Pagasa, Phivolcs or PNRI, the Philippine National Police, Metro Manila Development Authority or any of the 44 agencies under the NDRRMC for verification.
The NDRRMC will then compose an appropriate message and forward this to the National Telecommunications Commission, which in turn would request the telecom companies to disseminate this to their subscribers (both prepaid and postpaid).
“We have two situations actually. The first is citizen-initiated, there is an observance of an irregularity or a potential calamity in a particular area,” Coloma explained.
“The second is government-initiated, as in the case of an earthquake, volcanic eruption, possible radiation,” he said.
NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said the response time could take minutes.
“If it’s accurate but not timely, then our countryman would be drowning before we can rescue him,” he said.
The service will come at no cost to the subscribers or the telecommunications companies, according to Pamintuan, Ramon Isberto of PLDT-Smart, and Yolly Crisanto of Globe.
“This is a free service so the subscribers will not be charged,” Isberto said.
