- GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has deployed its emergency telecommunications team to establish and maintain communications and internet connectivity at the incident command post in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental in the wake of the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
The move aims to enhance coordination and response efforts during the ongoing response operations, a statement from OCD Region 6 said.
As of June 17, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology logged six volcano quakes at Kanlaon volcano.
It also monitored the reduction of sulfuric oxide emission to 1,870 tonnes per day on June 16, from its peak of 4,395 on June 14
In a statement, OCD-6 Regional Director Raul Fernandez welcomed the team and provided support in the delivery and establishment of the telecommunications equipment.
The setup includes state-of-the-art communication tools, Starlink device and internet connectivity solutions as well as drones, ensuring seamless communication channels for emergency responders and coordination teams.
Fernandez emphasized the important role of strong communication infrastructure in effective disaster management, noting that the newly established telecommunications capabilities will significantly improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the command post operations.
The emergency telecommunications team will remain on-site to provide ongoing technical support and ensure the reliability of the communication systems.
The OCD central office’s rapid deployment team and its mobile filtration truck also continues to provide safe drinking water to the families affected by the volcanic eruption in La Castellana.
Equipped with advanced water purification technology, the mobile filtration truck will continue to supply clean and safe water and the rapid deployment team will remain on the ground, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the filtration system and effective distribution of the much needed water, Fernandez said.*GB
