Gov't to boost disaster response with WFP aid

The government is beefing its disasterresponse capacity this year as it is set to receive four new emergency vehicles from the United Nations' World Food Program (WFP).

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

Martin Kristensson, project manager of the mobile operations vehicle for emergency (MOVE), said the WFP is set to turnover four units to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) next month.

The four units are part of the $4.2-million second phase of the five-year Government Emergency Communication System-MOVE (GECS-MOVE) project being undertaken by the DICT and WFP.

This will now bring the DICT's MOVE fleet to 10.

The units are high-tech trucks that can be easily deployed in disaster-hit areas to reestablish telecommunications and even provide emergency power supply.

These also consist of deployable vehicles such as motorcycles as well as drones to allow responders to accelerate assessment of disaster-hit areas.