MANILA, Philippines — Twenty portable satellite communication kits were turned over to the Office of Civil Defense during a ceremony led by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. and OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno at Camp Aguinaldo on Aug. 14.
The kits were donated by the Diversified Financial Network Inc. (DFNN), an IT solutions provider and systems integrator that enables its clients to compete in an increasingly technology-dependent environment since 1999.
Nepomuceno highlighted the importance of a reliable and resilient communication system as a critical component of humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
“We welcome this donation as another boost in our effort to strengthen the communications capability of OCD, our counterpart DRRM councils and local governments using redundant communication systems across the archipelago,” Nepomuceno said, referring to disaster risk reduction management.
The equipment, SpaceX Starlink kits, will support the emergency communications capability of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) using the latest satellite technology.
The kits are low maintenance devices with low operational cost, easily deployable due to their mobility and portability design and can be operated by a single person.
The Starlink kits can deliver high-speed internet to support virtual conferences and video calls, among others.
The turnover was witnessed by officials of the DFNN led by its chairman Ramon Garcia.
Teodoro, who chairs the NDRRMC, reiterated the government’s efforts to make the country’s disaster response system a more robust component of the national DRRM endeavor.
Garcia cited his company’s commitment to support the continuous strengthening of the Philippines’ disaster management system.
“By providing Starlink connectivity to critical government functions, particularly in disaster risk reduction, we are taking a step toward the future where communication is never compromised, even in the face of nature’s most challenging moments,” Garcia said.
The OCD, the implementing arm and secretariat of NDRRMC, provides emergency communications support to disaster-stricken local government units.