NGA 911 Briefs Metro Manila Council on Advanced, Next-Gen Emergency Response and Disaster Preparedness in LA

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Next Generation Advanced (NGA) 911 -- an IP-based emergency communications system that transforms crisis response through technology, integration and real-time reporting -- presented the future of public safety and emergency response to a delegation of the Metro Manila Council and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) at an educational tour in Westin Bonaventure, Los Angeles California recently.

NGA’s Chief Executive Officer Don Ferguson and Chief Financial Officer Ishka Villacisneros welcomed the local government executives in LA and briefed them on NGA’s mission to enhance public safety and emergency response, letting them know that NGA, their technology and systems are already available, and infrastructure built in the Philippines.

The presentation included a demonstration of how the advanced system performs in various emergency response situations. Simulations of actual crisis situations where NGA 911’s next generation technology developed by the company in LA were highlighted.

“NGA 911 provides cities and communities in the US and other countries with peace of mind through our advanced and next generation emergency response systems. We are happy to announce that this next-generation 911 technology is now in the Philippines and we are looking to save more lives and empower more communities by unifying all systems in the future,” said Ferguson.

NGA 911 has ongoing deployments in Rizal, Pangasinan and Cagayan De Oro regions. These LGUs are now ready to provide the next-generation digital technology for emergency communication and public safety services that is used in the United States.

“We are partnering with NGA 911 to equip our public safety officers with a system that will enable them to provide immediate emergency assistance and help us adapt to the ever changing landscape of public safety,” Morong Mayor Sidney Soriano had said at the announcement of their LGU’s partnership with NGA 911 in April 2023.

Among the Metro Manila mayors present in the event were San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, Mayor Jeannie Sandoval of Malabon, Mayor Ruffy Biazon of Muntinlupa, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco, Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Mayor Ike Ponce of Pateros, Vice Mayor April Aguilar Nery of Las Piñas, together with CDRRMMO officers and MMDA official led by Usec. Frisco San Juan, Atty. Vic Trinidad, and Atty. Cris Saruca.

The NGA presentation was part of the educational tour of the Philippine delegation on Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Response in the US that also coincided with the Manila International Film Festival itinerary organized by the MMDA in Los Angeles, California.

As part of the educational trip, NGA facilitated a Los Angeles City Hall tour for the Metro Manila mayors who had the opportunity to interact and talk with the City of Los Angeles Deputy Mayors and city officials.

Why Disaster Preparedness Should be Part of Your Plan

The Philippines has long been considered calamity-prone and vulnerable to disasters. In fact, it placed third among all the highest-risk countries worldwide, according to the World Risk Report of 2018.

A big contributor is the country’s geographical location and make-up. As an archipelago, the Philippines is composed of many small islands and is surrounded by water. It is also located within the Typhoon belt and the “Ring of Fire” and between the Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates. Thus, natural occurrences such as typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are almost always a disaster waiting to happen - literally.

Just recently, the Visayas and Mindanao regions suffered from the devastating effects of Typhoon Odette. Taal Volcano’s last eruption was only in 2020, and it affected more than 736,000 people. Filipinos constantly experience a barrage of natural disasters, and yet, a study from the Harvard

Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) in 2018 shows that 47.5% of all the respondents said they have not done anything to prepare themselves for a disaster within the past five years, and only 36% feel prepared enough.

November 2013. Tacloban, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan, known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, was one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record.

Still, there seems to be hope in encouraging Filipinos to start prioritizing their safety and investing in disaster preparedness. In the same Harvard study,4 many of the respondents said if they had enough funds and resources, they would definitely be willing to prepare ahead. This shows that, in spite of it all, Filipinos do want to be ready.

So, what can we as individuals do to make sure that we are well-equipped when the next typhoon, earthquake, or volcanic eruption hits? The first step is to know your location well. Is it prone to flooding? How far away is it from the nearest volcano? Is it close to a fault line? All this information can be found with just a click of a button, thanks to digitalized documentation efforts led by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). (Link: https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/gisweb-hazard-maps) 

Once you have assessed your location’s vulnerabilities, now you can actively prepare yourself and your home for any incoming calamities. Check your house for any damages, and if it is made from materials that can withstand ground movement or strong winds. Keep a Go Bag with emergency resources accessible, both in your homes and places of work. 

SM Lanang Premier in Davao has a rain water catchment tank with a capacity of 600 cubic meters

Finally, make it a habit to listen to the radio and the news for any updates, and monitor your local government unit’s social media for any announcements. Familiarize yourself with as many routes as you can to your nearest evacuation center. Schools, barangay courts, and even malls like SM Supermalls often open their doors to receive evacuees in times of crisis.

   

SM DRR Facilities: (Left) Automated Weather Stations: SM Prime Holdings, Inc. has inked a partnership with the Manila Observatory for the “High Definition Clean Energy, Climate, and Weather Forecasts for the Philippines” Project, a data-driven system that utilizes automated weather stations (AWS) and high-performance computer modeling to provide clean energy and weather forecasts up to five days in advance. (Right) SM has also installed Earthquake Recording Instrumentations (ERI) on all malls for earth movement real time monitoring being recorded in an ERI dashboard.

SM, as a responsible member of the community, has taken disaster resilience as a necessary investment to help ensure that our communities thrive. SM allots 10% of its capital expenditures to incorporate disaster-resilient features, of which installing water management design features is one of them. By ensuring that its investments, employees, tenants and partners are resilient, no Filipino will be left behind.

“It is simply not a matter of if, but when,” said Hans T. Sy, Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Holdings. “We already know that there will always be another typhoon, another earthquake, another natural calamity. Our best bet to avoid personal losses and damages is to be ready for when it comes.” 

SM Marikina stands tall above a 23-meter Marikina River water lever rise because it sits on 246 stilts and an additional 20 meters farther than the suggested 90-meter distance from the Marikina River centerline. 

Some of SM’s notable resilient infrastructure is SM City Marikina and SM Mall of Asia, designed to help mitigate the effect of flooding in the community. Most SM malls feature disaster-resilient designs including SM City Puerto Princesa in Palawan wherein the mall es elevated approximately 1.40 meters from the City Road, thus preventing it to be flooded from the heavy rain throughout the year. SM City Consolacion in Cebu has an adequately designed draining system discharging to adjacent creek and area surface drain along the perimeter walls.

SM Seaside City Cebu 

SM Seaside City Cebu's protection against storm surges is provided by elevating the site above mean sea level, thereby allowing the mall to be a place of refuge during times of flooding. The complex road was constructed 4.0m (not 3.0m) higher than the city road. Instead of flood barrier walls as a solution to the threat of flooding, the building's main floor was also elevated at 4.0m (not 4.5m) from the complex roads. The first level was designed to be a parking area with a 4.0m elevation difference from the main floor.

“We often ask ourselves – how else can we make it better for the people? We don’t want to just simply build malls, but more importantly, we make sure that our developments improve the lives of the community by adding disaster-resilient features to help mitigate the potential effects of disasters,” Sy added. 

ABOUT SM PRIME HOLDINGS

SM Prime, one of the leading integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, remains committed to its role as a catalyst for economic growth, delivering innovative and sustainable lifestyle cities, thereby enriching the quality of life of millions of people. Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience form part of SM Prime’s core business strategies. It ensures that its risk-informed investments catalyze sustainable development and positive change in the communities where it operates.

 

For more information on SM Prime Holdings and its other programs towards disaster preparedness, visit their website at www.smprime.com.