PASAY CITY, Philippines – The province of Albay is using short messaging system (SMS) to monitor natural disasters and provide early warning issuances to constituents.

The provincial government has partnered with service provider Smart, providing SIM (subscriber identification module) cards to some 15,000 local government officials.

"If something is happening say a creek in a barangay is overflowing, authorities will be able to respond immediately," said Albay governor Joey Salceda who spoke at the Energy, Climate and Food Security summit held at the Sofitel in Pasay City.

Salceda presented Albay as a case study on local government preparedness and response to climate change. Albay is also tapping into natural resources building a geothermal plant and wind farms, Salceda added.

Salceda said all 720 barangays in the province will also undergo technology training by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) on earthquake and disaster-readiness software.

According to Salceda, all of these are part of "climate proofing" initiatives aimed at increasing readiness among municipalities and villages when disaster occurs.

"LGUs [local government units] are the leading agent for action when it comes to climate change mitigation and adaptation because they have more funds to allocate than the national government," Salceda noted.

"We need to think global but act local," he said.