Bacolod: The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is encouraging more local government units (LGUs) to adopt Project SIGNAL, or Strategic Incident Georeferencing for Nationwide Alertness, an advanced incident reporting and monitoring tool designed for use during natural hazards and disasters.

According to Philippines News Agency, the system, developed by DOST-Western Visayas, aims to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and coordination of emergency response efforts across the country.

Project SIGNAL is part of the technology-driven disaster response initiatives showcased by DOST at the Handa Pilipinas-Visayas Leg expo at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod. The system is available for use until Thursday, offering a platform that supports real-time incident reporting, emergency operation monitoring, and report management. It features a mobile application for registered incident reporters and automatically generates reports, all while being web-based and free for all LGUs and national government agencies.

DOST-Negros Island Region OIC Director Rowen Gelonga noted that activated LGUs utilize the system not only for disaster reporting and monitoring but also for medical emergencies. “A lot of LGUs are using Project SIGNAL for medical emergencies. It all depends on the LGU because the system is very flexible, robust, and scalable,” Gelonga explained.

As of Tuesday, the system has been adopted by 132 activated LGUs and boasts 926 registered incident reporters in Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental. Gelonga mentioned that Bago City in Negros Occidental is one of the most active users of Project SIGNAL, highlighting its effectiveness for the requirements of the LGUs that have implemented it.

The DOST-Western Visayas is actively promoting the adoption of Project SIGNAL among more LGUs, with the goal of extending its reach beyond Western Visayas through the Handa Pilipinas-Visayas expo.