Saving lives through texting

Emmanuel Dante Lara, barangay chair of Butauanan in Siruma, Camarines Sur, says his cell phone doubles as a lifesaving device, especially during typhoons, when it serves as his link to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) center based in the capital town of Pili.

Butauanan is an island at the mouth of the San Miguel Bay in the northeastern part of the province. It is accessible through 37 kilometers of good road and 37 km of dirt road and a boat ride.

It takes at least eight hours of travel from Naga City to reach the village.

Lara, 31, says the village is actually a dead spot for cell phone use, except for two areas—one in the school grounds and another about a kilometer from his home.

During typhoons, he anticipates busy days ahead since fishermen drifting from the stormy seas usually end up in the village. “That’s the time when I have to send text messages to the PDRRMC center to give a status report on the people we have rescued.”

Lara recounts that 20 fishermen were rescued when Typhoon “Juaning” raked the province in July and 27 others when Typhoon “Pedring” struck on Monday.

No more worries

Carlos C. Galvez, head of the Camarines Norte PDRRMC, says the families of the fishermen had stopped worrying because they were informed that their loved ones were being taken care of by local officials while the disaster council waited for the seas to calm down so they could return to their homes.

Lara identifies the 27 fishermen as Junie Ramos, Jeofreng Parasipas, Gregorio Perio, Jomer Cristol, Erwin Aberiya, Junrey Sabaco, Jornie Boque Jr., Edwin Quiñones, Domingo Garinga, Pedro Torio, Elias Sta. Rosa, Mark Anthony Butial, Rohan Butial, Alex Nelie, Nicano Naiza, Joren Pacumbala, Romel Tapal, Albert Biga, Pauline Caro, Ayen Alberto, Armin Caro, Renie Ramos, Dang Naiza, Ramil Ramos, Ronie Agunas, Carlos Abiog and Rodel Sehina.

They could not have managed to conduct the rescue on their own because they lack the resources, he said. “Through the text messages we were given instructions on what to do.”

Luzena Bermeo, head of the PDRRMC secretariat, says immediate confirmation on the status of the missing through text messages between her office and the barangay officials facilitates rescue operations.

She cites the case of six fishermen from Barangay Caranan in Pasacao, Camarines Sur, who went out to sea on Sunday and were reported as missing on Monday.

Three of them were able to return on Monday morning to inform Caranan’s barangay chair, Emelia Olivia, that their other companions were safe after finding shelter on Amisola, an island between Burias Island in Masbate and Balatan town in Camarines Sur.

Olivia relayed the information to the secretariat, which was conveyed to Coast Guard rescuers that afternoon.

The six were identified as  Leopoldo Nidea, 37; Doikyam Deguia, 35; Oliver Deguia, 28, Francis Basqouinia, 23, Danila de los Santos, 29, and Domingo Harol, 16.

Bermeo says “hot spots” where missing fishermen usually drift during typhoon have already been identified. These include Barangays Colongkogon and Cabacungan in Caramoan, Canlong in Garchitorena, and Amisola—all in Camarines Sur.

The secretariat communicates with persons in these areas by cell phone. Actually, it maintains a directory of all cell phone numbers of around 1,000 barangay chairs in the province with whom they coordinate during disasters.