The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the lead disaster response agency in the country, is set to conduct the first Disaster Response Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) Summit on April 8 to 12, 2019 at Pinnacle Hotel, Davao City.

With the theme, “Enhancing Community Resilience thru Innovations in Information Technology and Data Sharing,” the DROMIC Summit 2019 aims to strengthen the disaster information management system of the DSWD by enhancing the knowledge and skills of disaster response personnel. Some of the topics that will be discussed in the event will be on disaster data gathering, monitoring, coordination, information communication and technology (ICT), and data analytics, among others.

It is being organized by the Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) which leads in the management of disaster response information and emergency operations of the Department.

Moreover, the Summit will be participated in by DROMIC-Central and Field Offices (CO and FOs) personnel, Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) heads, and representatives from other cluster-members and private agencies.

Improving disaster information management

DROMIC was established in 1994 under Department Order No. 53, otherwise known as the Disaster Response and Monitoring Capability Building (DRAMCB) project, to develop functions and guidelines on the management of disaster information and management.

Among its notable innovations are: Predictive Analytics for Humanitarian Response (PAHR) which is intended to make predictions on potential disaster events to prepare humanitarian response using mathematical theories, scientific processes, and spatial technologies based on current and historical data; DSWD ETDR (Emergency Telecommunications for Disaster Response) which deploys Emergency Telecommunications Teams (ETTs) equipped with ICT resources to address communications, electronics, and information needs of disaster managers and affected population in disaster-stricken areas; and the Virtual OpCen(dromic.dswd.gov.ph), the DSWD’s online facility that provides relevant information to any or potential emergency situation accessible anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

With the rapid changes in weather patterns, the Department, through DROMIC, continues to pursue innovations in disaster response management to engage citizens to acquire and share information on disaster preparedness and to mitigate the impacts of climate change. ###