New facility to serve as alternate center during disasters

MANILA – The government has set up a command and control center in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija which would serve as an alternate post in times of disasters.

Inaugurated on April 29, the center houses a supply warehouse for disaster response, an alternate command-and-operation center for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the mobile communications system that would support the command and control.

“This is in compliance to the President’s directive to build alternate command posts in preparation for any catastrophe (such as an earthquake triggered by the west valley fault that runs from Norzagaray to Cavite) that would render the NDRRMC command post in Camp Aguinaldo or the National Command Center in Malacañang nonfunctional,” Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana said in a Facebook post.

The facility also includes the living quarters of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) personnel manning the complex.

Another alternate command post is under construction in Butuan City. The government is also planning to put up another one in Mactan, Cebu.

In a separate statement, the OCD said the activation of the site in Nueva Ecija was to push for continuity of operations in case of disaster that could compromise the functionality and safety of the NDRRM Operations Center based in Quezon City.

“The NDRRMC could not have a more suitable location other than here in Fort Magsaysay,” Lorenzana said.

Following the inauguration, personnel demonstrated the system and coordination processes during emergencies.