Texting for disaster response urged

BACOLOD CITY – Somewhere off the sugarcane fields, in a hospital reputed to be the last Japanese stronghold in Negros Occidental during World War II, sisters Mary Belle, Mary Anne and Mary Chelle Durasan are busy teaching the basics of first aid. The medical student triplets are familiar with Morse Code, two-digit number communications and single-side radio band, as volunteers of the Negros Occidental-Bacolod City Red Cross Chapter.

But now, in the third Provincial Red Cross Youth Summer Camp being held in the historical Patag area of Silay City, they will be challenged to harness a new form of disaster management communications via a technology they are familiar with – text messaging.

The triplets are part of the over 150 out-of-school-youth participants of the camp where apart from learning first aid and the basic disaster management course, they are being challenged by Smart Communications to use GSM technology for disaster management.

In a speech entitled "Emerging Technology in Communications," Smart public affairs’ senior officer for community relations Jo Clemente stressed the need for the evolution of user-friendly texting language which can be used in times of disaster by Red Cross volunteers themselves.

"This is an example of how text messaging technology can be used productively for relief and emergency efforts by Red Cross volunteers. However, it must start somewhere, and that is through the Red Cross volunteers themselves," Clemente said.

"Text messaging has been getting flak recently because of the way people use it. There are sectors who say that it makes us Filipinos less efficient in the use of the English language because of the use of abbreviated text language. This is not and should not be the case. As long as communities use text messaging language in a way that is understood rapidly, it is a potential form of a productive and efficient way of communications. This is what we want to help the Philippine National Red Cross develop," Clemente added.

Arthur Cruz, administrator of the Negros Occidental-Bacolod City Red Cross Chapter, agreed. "With Mount Kanlaon on volcanic activity Alert Level No. 1, we are interested in evolving a form of communications between volunteers and members that is fast yet affordable. Up to now, we still use Morse Code and two-way radio, aside from plain forms of communications such as sending via fax or telegraph. This is an avenue which Red Cross can explore," he said.

Almost all participants in the summer camp own or have a family member who owns a mobile phone. Everyone is familiar with text messaging as evidenced by the participatory text messaging familiarization game which Clemente conducted.

"This is something that we want to help develop in partnership with PNRC. We can start with local chapters and spread it to the whole province. As with forms of universal communications, it will take effort and time for acceptance," Clemente said.

Smart’s involvement with PNRC came in the wake of the February 1998 Cebu Pacific Air DC-9 Flight 387 crash on Mt. Sumagaya near Cagayan de Oro City. Smart immediately set up fixed cellular terminals for emergency disaster relief communication as well as for use by the victims’ families.

In April 2000, when Air Philippines Flight 737 from Manila to Davao crashed, Smart also partnered with the PNRC for disaster communications.

To date, Smart is the first company in the Philippines with a solid pool of employee-volunteers to PNRC. Trained in basic disaster management, they are on-call to respond in times of disasters as communication specialists.

"We are proud to partner with a prestigious humanitarian organization such as the PNRC. It’s not difficult for Smart to dovetail its community relations efforts with the PNRC as we are present in their areas of operations," said Ramon Isberto, Smart public affairs head.

"Smart believes in technology enabling people and hopefully, with this development in our partnership with the PNRC, text messaging will be elevated to a higher level – that of saving people’s lives and properties," he added.