Police, military launch text-message reporting system in Visayas
MANILA, Philippines—The police and military forces are now a text message away in the Visayan region.
The Philippine National Police Directorate for Police Operations Visayas (Dipo-Visayas) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command (Centcom) launched on Wednesday the Dipo Visayas/Centcom Short Message System (SMS) Reporting System in Dumaguete City, the system’s initial area.
The project launch was led by Police Director Jaime Calungsud of PNP Dipo Visayas and Major General Manny Bautista, Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army.
Also present were Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, Colonel Ochoterena, Police Director George Piano, Police Chief Superintendent Ager Ontog , Police Director Rey Lawas and hundreds of bikers from Negros.
“With over 60 million Filipinos now using cellphones, SMS is the most efficient mode of communication in the country today. That is why the PNP’s Dipo Visayas and the AFP’s CentcoM decided to launch today our SMS reporting system in order to give the general public better access to us, your partners in uniform. The system will make use of a state-of-the-art SMS Center manned 24/7 to receive feedback and complaints from the public. It will be the fastest and most economical way for you to reach us and vice versa,” Calungsud said in his message during the launching of the project.
“The system would definitely fill the gap in the existing communication infrastructures of both the AFP and the PNP units in the area,” Bautista said.
Mayor Sagarbarria thanked both the AFP and the PNP for choosing Dumaguete as the launching pad for the SMS project.
Sagarbarria also thanked the PNP for allocating to the city one patrol vehicle and 10 patrol bikes, which were all turned over by Police Director Piano of the Directorate for Logisitics.
