Students save emergency hotlines on cell phones

PAG-ASA National High School students save emergency hotline numbers on their cell phones as a disaster safety measure in Rawis, Legazpi City, Albay province, on Wednesday. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON.

PUBLIC high school students in Legazpi City made meaningful use of their mobile phones by storing emergency hotline numbers to kick off the observance of the monthlong National Disaster Consciousness Month held every July.

On Tuesday, most of the 2,400 students of Pag-asa National School in Barangay Rawis gathered at the school’s auditorium and, on the cue of the school principal, began saving on their cell phones the emergency hotlines of the local offices of national government agencies, particularly those of the Bureau of Fire and Protection, Philippine National Police, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Office of Civil Defense.

The main objective of the activity was for the students to be fully aware of who and what agency to call in case of an emergency, school principal Jeremy Cruz said.

It was also one way of teaching the students to become responsible citizens because they could use the hotline numbers on their phones to report incidents that might require police or medical attention that they would chance upon while they were on the way to school or going home, he added.

“We are teaching them how to make use of technology wisely. Nowadays gadgets like cell phones are the fastest and most efficient ways of communication. With available mobile phones, asking for help in times of emergency or disaster will be very easy,” Cruz said.

At least 80 percent of the total student population of the school has mobile phones, he said.

For the students who don’t have cell phones, they were asked to write down the hotline numbers on their notebook, he added.

Cruz said the students would also be asked to memorize at least some of the numbers, particularly those of the police and the fire departments, so that in case they lose their cell phones, they still have access to these numbers using other telecommunications facilities.

Kim Rebutica, 13, Grade 8 student, and Jonard Deocariza, 16, a Grade 9 student, said they never thought of storing these numbers until they were told to by their school authorities.

They believed it was a great idea as they now would know who to call for help especially in times of emergencies.

“We are happy that we have the hotline numbers. This would serve as a great help in case we need assistance or rescue, or report an incident that might happen anytime,” Deocariza said.

Cruz said they have also scheduled fire and earthquake drills at the school in the coming days. Report from Michael B. Jaucian in Legazpi City