Sarangani partners with Globe for SAR 117 hotline
ALABEL, Sarangani (Decemeber 1,
2015)- Sarangani will launch its 24/7 emergency hotline on Wednesday (December
9) being the first local government unit (LGU) in the country to localize the
nationwide Patrol 117. Sarangani officials were presents who proxy Governor
Steve C. Solon is Board Member Elmer T. Peralta Committee on Disaster, Mr. Flor
C. Limpin, Provincial Director – DILG, Dir. Minda C. Morante, Regional Director,
OCD – R-12 RDRRM Chairperson, Ms. Michelle Ora, Globe Company Representative,
Engr. Froilan J. Jamias, OLC Regional Director – NTC Regional Officer-in-Charge
and Mr. Rene Punzalan, PDRRMO.
In a letter sent by the National
Telecommunications Commission last month, Region 12 Director officer-in-charge
Engr. Froilan Jamias commented Sarangani “as the first LGU to adopt the
hotline.”
Patrol 117 was institutionalized
as the nationwide emergency hotline thru Executive Order no. 226 in 2003.
In Sarangani Provincial Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Officer Rene Punzalan said the hotline
will be called SAR 117. It would serve as the “nerve center” for collaborative
implementation in monitoring and addressing emergency and distress situations.
The idea of institutionalizing
SAR 117, Punzalan said, is to have a “safer and disaster resilient Sarangani” thru a voice patch that would be provided by
Globe Telecommunications linking residents of the province to various
coordinating agencies responding to emergencies.
Globe, being the host telco, has
committed to be Sarangani’s partner for SAR 117 offering lower installation and
maintenance cost and technical support and other services that are more
advantageous to the provincial government.
The LGU has earmarked a total of
P627,700 for the first year of implementation of SAR 117 which already included
the PBAX System, installation fee and the P40,000 monthly recurring cost.
Last month Globe PDRRMO the
operation of SAR 117 conducted the triangulation relative to the operation of
SAR 117 and reported around 450 cell sites in Sarangani that would be utilized
for the program.
According to the PDRRMO the
operation of SAR 117 would be restricted only to Sarangani towns. Even General
Santos City, which is located midway of Sarangani, could not access the
hotline.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Resolution No. 2014-8-065 has also been approved to support this program as beneficial
in serving “as direct and fast conduit to report and respond to crimes,
emergencies, rescue/retrieval situations, and similar conditions.”
It said “the provincial
government has geared towards the establishment of a well-equipped
communication facility that would immediately respond to emergencies in the
province,” hence the PDRRM council has adopted the establishment of SAR 117.
SAR 117 is also in line with
Republic Act 10121 or known as The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act of 2010 which provides that it is the prime responsibility of
all government units to provide maximum care, assistance and services to
individuals and families affected by natural and human-induced disaster,
implement emergency response and rehabilitation services to lessen the impact
of disaster.
In 2014, Sarangani already
launched the phase I Emergency Hotline Text Connect System that serves as data
banking and early warning information service to Sarangani constituents during
calamities and disasters. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE/ Beverly C. Paoyon)
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