Cheyenne Suarez

Students use data collection app, tech for disaster resilience in Lapu-Lapu City

Article (news)

Annie Perez

ABS-CBN News

CEBU — High school students in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu are now actively taking on a bigger role in disaster resilience, through the use of mobile applications and other digital tools.They were taught to do so in the recent “Andam Lapu-Lapu sa Habagatan”, a localized version of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) “Handa Pilipinas” Disaster Resilience expo.The version for Lapu-Lapu City is more targeted to specific sectors in the barangays and happens every five months. “Using technology is a must because here in our situation right now, technology is very important to enhance,” said Grade 10 student Symon Dela Peña from Barangay Pusok.At 15 years old, he is already part of the school’s fire-fighting team and has visited communities because of this.“Maka-organize siya, helpful siya,” added Dela Peña. He is one of over a hundred attendees, along with members of people’s organizations, asked to map out hazards and impacts with an open-source mobile application called “Kobo Toolbox”.The application allows for data entry of pertinent details in disaster-stricken areas along with documentation features such as photo and video.Students also immersed themselves in a fire-stricken area at Barangay Pusok to start their data collection.“Sayon ra (easy),” shared Dela Peña who has mastered using the smartphone and the application. <div> </div><div>LOCATION-BASED INFORMATION</div>It was a Dutch, who moved to the Philippines because of his fascination with images in the country, who thought of the idea. He then shared this to the local government unit.“In the Philippines, almost everyone has a cellphone and one of the powerful things of a cellphone is you can take photos and it has a GPS,” said Pakes. GPS, or Global Positioning System, determines a location. What the application specifically does is to map out the inputted information based on the immediate environment of an individual. In turn, this becomes part of a bigger map and is readily available to the public. It can then help the local government and other institutions do the correct disaster response.Pakes calls this “location based information”.“The community can map out what is important for them… If we empower communities to map out where they feel good and what needs improvement, I think that would be wonderful,” added Pakes. “In the near future, we can have a history that we can give to the new generation and we can give a heads up about future problems,” Dela Peña also said.<div> </div><div>DATA ANALYTICS AS DISASTER RESILIENCE</div>Lapu-Lapu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Nagiel Bañacia said that as a huge city with islets included, they are banking on using data analytics for disaster resilience.“We teach the community that they will be the one to analyze, they will do the risk assessment and we get that data from them. With data analytics, it is easier to manage disasters,” said Bañacia.They plan to process the data, look at common trends and patterns so they can properly give them what they need in terms of disaster preparedness and response.Bañacia adds that they are also aiming to change the mindset of their residents when it comes to disasters by involving them in preparedness and raising awareness.“Know your hazard. If the community is risk informed, it promotes disaster resilience. We use technology, we inform the community about the hazards within their neighborhood. We empower them with these hazards,” added Bañacia. Aside from mapping through a mobile application, students were also taught how to read maps using the tools developed by DOST such as panahon.gov and Nationwide Assessment of Hazards (NOAH).Others were also taught how to create videos using their smartphones so they can report realtime their situation before, during and after disasters. “We bank on the students because our youth now are very techy. This is one of our thrusts, we use technology to teach the community,” explained Bañacia.Their dream is to have no casualties in the event of any disaster and that no one gets left behind. “No one wants to be a victim,” Bañacia further said.Lapu-Lapu city is classified as a highly urbanized city and has over 500,000 residents including those living in the small islands.It is also one of the areas badly hit by Super Typhoon Odette in 2021, where 8 individuals died.

High school students in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu are now actively taking on their role in disaster resilience

High school students in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu are now actively taking on their role in disaster resilience