MMDA equips enforcers with tablet computers

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) equipped its traffic enforcers with tablet computers on Friday to complement their monitoring and reporting capabilities, especially during emergencies. 

MMDA officer-in-charge Emerson Carlos said the additional 20 tablet computers will also aid the agency’s traffic enforcers in traffic management.

Communication through a dedicated application in the tablets would also enable traffic enforcers in the field to have better visual coordination with the MMDA’s Metrobase. The Metrobase is the MMDA’s nerve center located at its office in Makati.

“We currently use radio and CCTV (closed-circuit television cameras). The problem with radio reporting is that decision-makers at Metrobase have trouble visualizing (the situation),” he said, adding that a video report makes it easier for decision-makers.

Carlos said Pureforce, a private solutions provider, donated the tablets with a free loaded application. Pureforce earlier donated 20 tablets to the MMDA, Carlos said.

Carlos said enforcers will use the tablets on All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days as well as during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next month.  

He said the tablets will help enforcers record incidents on the street and send these videos or photos to Metrobase, which will post them on social media sites.

Carlos added that the application loaded in the MMDA tablets is also synchronized with the respective nerve centers of the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the 17 local government units of Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, Carlos said the MMDA also plans to equip its flood control team with the dedicated tablet computers.