Quezon city: The Quezon City government strengthened its disaster response system through the LyfSaver platform to gather, verify, and map community reports, giving responders a clearer picture of areas where help is most needed during emergencies and disasters. 'Quezon City is the first LGU in the country with its own LyfSaver dashboard, where every report is seen and verified,' Mayor Joy Belmonte said during the platform's launch on Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Belmonte said reports received by the dashboard are verified in partnership with LyfSaver PH, FYT Media, and Yes Pinoy Foundation. She said it works alongside the city's existing systems and connects to the right responder, including Helpline 122, the QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (QCDRRMO), the barangays, or departments in City Hall.
LyfSaver is an AI-assisted community reporting platform that helps gather, verify, map, and prioritize emergency reports so responders can better identify where help is needed. The platform allows residents to report incidents such as floods, fires, accidents, and people needing rescue, and reports are displayed on a map, providing responders with information on where assistance may be needed. Belmonte said the initiative brings together the government, technology partners, and local communities.
'May systems at response capacity ang pamahalaan. May technology, innovation, at networks ang ating partners, Lyf, Yes Pinoy, and FYT Media. At sa pamamagitan ng mga ito (The government has systems and response capacity. Our partners, Lyf, Yes Pinoy, and FYT Media, have technology, innovation, and networks. And through these), we get to build and share local knowledge,' she said. Belmonte also stressed that everyone should be trained on how to 'report, verify, respond'.
QCDRRMO head Bianca Perez-Diamante said the system can help the city prioritize rescue operations when several calls come in at the same time, citing the recent southwest monsoon or 'habagat', when the office received several rescue calls from the same streets or barangays. She noted that with the GPS (Global Positioning System) of the LyfSaver app, the QCDRRMO can see real-time areas where calls for help are coming from. The platform uses artificial intelligence to help with initial verification and report aggregation.
The developers, however, said human responders will still make the final decisions, particularly when lives and emergency resources are involved. 'Hindi dapat papalitan ang decision-making ng AI, kasi buhay at resources ang nakasalalay. Mahal mag-deploy (AI should not replace decision-making because lives and resources are at stake. It's expensive to deploy),' LyfSaver CEO and convenor Voltaire Tupas said. He also added that the platform is designed to keep track of an incident until it is resolved.
LyfSaver grew out of humanitarian and disaster response work, with its organizers saying community information often contains useful details that do not reach responders or decision-makers. Yes Pinoy Foundation founder and LyfSaver convenor actor Dingdong Dantes said the platform gives ordinary citizens a structured way to participate in disaster preparedness. 'The goal of the LyfSaver app is to put these three things together, yung information, yung government response, and yung (the information, government response, and the) community participation,' Dantes said.
Meanwhile, as a news personality, FYT Media co-founder Atom Araullo emphasized the importance of journalism and news reporting to move people and communities to act. He noted that news stories or documentaries are stronger when supported by data, while data is more useful when turned into stories people can understand and act on. The platform is initially being introduced to a pilot group that includes students, barangay officials, Sangguniang Kabataan members, and disaster risk reduction personnel, with plans to expand participation.
Belmonte said the system can only work if residents take part in disaster preparedness and response, noting that the initiative's success relies mainly on public participation. 'Governance is government and the people working together. Hindi pwedeng mawala sa equation ang taong bayan (The people cannot be left out of the equation),' she said.
