NTC eyes emergency warning broadcast system on digital TV

MANILA, Philippines — Early warning broadcast system is planned to be integrated into digital television formats, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said on Tuesday.

In an interview with PTV, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas director Erwin Galang said that the NTC, the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) plan to adopt the early warning broadcast system in the Philippines similar to Japan.

"Ang experience po na nakita po sa Japan ay prior po na dumating sa ibang lugar nakita na po nila at nawarningan na po sila. So, inaasahan po natin na magagawa rin po natin 'yun dito sa Pilipinas," the Galang said.

(The experience seen in Japan is that prior to it reaching other areas, they have already seen and been warned. So, we hope that we can also do that here in the Philippines.)

Galang referred to the "J-Alert," or Japan's satellite-based early warning system, to quickly inform the public sent through broadcast channels about an impending threat or disaster.

To achieve this, however, Filipinos must transition from the analog format to digital TV, a process that NTC Deputy Commissioner Alvin Blanco said is currently under study.

"And we also have to make sure na itong mga households na ito that are still relying on analog reception ay makapag-access po ng digital TV before po natin ipatigil ang analog TV service," Blanco said.

(And we also have to make sure that these households that are still relying on analog reception can access digital TV before we discontinue analog TV service.)

"Pinag-aaralan rin po ng pamahalaan ang pag-provide ng subsidy for some of the households na kailangan po nating i-transition. Pinag-aaralan rin po ito to make sure na maili-limit ang mga inconvenience," he added.

(The government is also studying the provision of subsidies for some households that need assistance in transitioning. This is being considered to ensure that inconveniences are minimized.)

Citing data from the NTC, almost 83% of households in Metro Manila have already switched to digital TV formats, with less than a million staying in analog.

"Ito po yung ating hinihikayat na mga households na as much as possible, tangkilikin na po nila 'yung ating digital TV service na pino-provide na po ng ating mga television networks," Blanco said.

(We encourage households, as much as possible, to patronize our digital TV service provided by our television networks.)

Telecommunication companies and the NDRRMC control the current emergency broadcast system in the Philippines, known as the emergency cell broadcast system.

Alert messages are dispatched via SMS before or after a phenomenon occurs.

The government also urged the public to transition to digital television services for an enhanced TV experience and increased programming options.