(First Photo) From left to right: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Social Marketing Service (SMS) Director Cezario Joel C. Espejo, Assistant Secretary for Protective Services Hope V. Hervilla, Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) OIC-Director Felino O. Castro V, listen to Undersecretary for Protective Services Vilma B. Cabrera address members of the press during the launching of the Virtual Operations Center (VOC) website of DSWD’s Emergency Operations Center for Disaster Response.
(Second Photo) From left to right: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Vilma B. Cabrera, Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) OIC-Director Felino O. Castro V, and DSWD Assistant Secretary Hope V. Hervilla examine situational reports on the recent tropical storm ‘Carina’ inside the new DReAMB Virtual Operations Center.

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), launched today its Emergency Operations Center for Disaster Response and its online version, the Virtual Operations Center (VOC) microsite accessible via the internet.

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.

“We want the public to have more access to government information and services that they can use to secure and promote their welfare and safety during disasters. Information is power, and we want this power to be used by Filipinos so they themselves can find means to prepare for calamities and help themselves immediately when calamities strike. In the coming weeks we will prepare programs and information materials explaining to the public — even to ordinary Filipinos who live in far-flung provinces  — how they can access this information through the internet. The more accessible and more understandable technical information is, the more useful it is to Filipinos. We want to empower Filipinos so they can become more resilient and proactive against disasters. The VirtualOpCen is one of our efforts to bring information closer to the people,” said DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo.

The Virtual OpCen may be accessed through the DSWD website athttp://www.dswd.gov.ph or directly at http://dromic.dswd.gov.ph  where users can view and download information on:

1) Hazards through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) partner-agencies of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST);

2) Exposure datasets from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the DSWD Listahanan;

3) Datasets of evacuation centers;

4) Situational reports on DSWD response to disasters;

5) Status of relief resources and standby funds available for disaster response; and,

6) Predictive analytics and maps for situational awareness and visualization.

“It is our goal to continually improve the mechanisms for disaster response and the sharing of information through this facility is a very important step towards attaining our shared vision for disaster response,” Director Felino O. Castro V said.

The lifeblood of the Virtual OpCen is the committed, vibrant, pro-active “nagmamalasakit” DSWD disaster response community from the municipal and provincial links, Social Welfare and Development Teams (SWADT), Regional and Central Office staff committed to the vision for disaster response which is:

“Committed to become the world’s standard in the promotion of a safe and resilient Filipino Society, we envision a DSWD that provides timely, inclusive, apolitical, accountable, efficient, and effective services in the management of disaster response.” ###