On Yolanda Anniv: Anti-Poverty Commission Releases Mapping Tool for LGUs

In observance of the first anniversary of typhoon Yolanda’s devastation, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) launched a mapping software system to aid local government units in disaster management.

The software aims to help LGUs prepare for calamities.

The initiative, called MAPA-HANDA, involves the use of Indonesian software InaSAFE which generates possible multi-hazard scenarios tailored to respond to the needs of barangays, GMA News Online reported.

Report said the system can project effects of flooding, rain-induced landslides, and storm surges to local communities. It can also provide details such as flood water level, number of men, women, children, and elderly in need of evacuation, amount of rice, drinking water, toiletries, and other relief goods to cover the basic needs of evacuees.

NAPC Director Romeo Fajardo said the initiative is part of the prevention and mitigation responsibility of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), whose aim is to help LGUs in disaster management through providing maps and information that can guide them in drafting action plans in times of calamity.

NAPC undersecretary Jude Esguerra III said there could be another Yolanda as super typhoons and strong earthquakes are becoming common occurrences. He added that they are thinking of innovative ways to better prepare for possible disasters.

Aside from InaSAFE, other mapping modules will also be utilized by the NAPC together with the National Youth Commission (NYC) and the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), report said.

These include OpenStreetMap (OSM), an open-source mapping application that gives users access to crowd-sourced geographic data of the world, and Quantum Geographic Information System, a software providing maps based on nationally available information.

Reports added that NAPC, NYC, and the UPOU signed a memorandum of understanding to seal the partnership. Instructional materials will be developed and hosted in the UPOU server as online modules, which the NYC will integrate in the Government Internship Program (GIP) framework to involve the more tech-savvy younger generation in the operation of the software.

Source: GMA News Online

Image Credit: news.pia.gov.ph