According to Engr. Lawrence P. Salang, team leader of Caraga GECS, “since Caraga is a disaster-prone region, we ensure the GECS-MOVE is all-time ready for deployment, as this is currently on standby at DICT Caraga Regional Office.”
“After Super Typhoon Odette, this facility continues to be operational, and it served the communities during the disasters in the region, like the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Surigao del Sur on December 2023, and the recent flooding in Agusan del Sur due to the trough of low pressure area,” Salang said.
This rapidly deployable asset is capable of bridging communication gaps between responders.
The MOVE operation hub is equipped with its own power system, including a solar energy source for charging mobile devices and other ICT equipment. It serves as the heart of the integrated communications system, which is in sync with the Emergency Operations Center of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Camp Aguinaldo or the DICT Central Office in Quezon City.
The MOVE is capable of independently sending critical information such as location of evacuation areas, warning messages and public service announcements via text messages.
The MOVE truck is backed up by a specially-equipped motorcycle that can relay communications traffic in hard-to-reach areas.
It is also equipped with two heavy duty drones or an unmanned aerial vehicle that can carry out search operations, aerial photography, filming, and delivering goods, among others.
