LA TRINIDAD, Benguet --With the aim to enhance the communications network for early warning and monitoring of hazards and incidents in the Cordilleras, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-CAR)  launched  the Radio Network Establishment for All-weather Communications in the Highlands (REACH) Project  in the  provinces on July 30, 2021.

The ceremonial turnover of the pilot project in Mountain Province and  launching in Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, and Kalinga  were  held in time for the celebration of the National Disaster Resilience Month.

“We recognize that with our region’s mountainous terrain and geographic characteristics, there is an apparent need for the establishment of alternative means of communication to serve as backup of existing communication systems, thus this Very High Frequency (VHF) project, ” said DOST-CAR Regional Director Nancy Bantog in her message during the event.

The REACH project is a collaborative project of the DOST-CAR and their  respective provincial local government units  in CAR for the establishment of provincial radio communications network for early warning and hazard and incident monitoring. It  highlights the significance of radio communication networks as a component of a sound early warning system for emergencies and in the operation of the local DRRM councils.

With sufficient inputs from the successful pilot project in Mountain Province in 2020, the REACH will be subsequently operational in the whole of the region.

DOST-CAR, as Vice-Chair for Cordillera Regional Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, continues to ensure that science works for the people towards building a healthier, more resilient and safer Cordillera through the establishment of this science-based tool for disaster prevention and mitigation in the regional, provincial, municipal and city levels.

“With this project, we hope that in the coming years no one will be beyond reach,” Bantog said. (DOST-CAR)