PH launches integrated disaster info website

By Ma. Cristina Arayata, Philippine News Agency

(Screenshot of Handa website)

MANILA – The government launched on Monday an integrated website containing disaster-related information.

Called “Handa: The Integrated Platform for Preparedness, Early Warning, and Response,” the website is accessible via handa.georisk.gov.ph.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), led the integration of existing platforms into a unified system for early warning, disaster preparedness and response.

During the website launch in Quezon City, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the integrated platform seeks to bridge the gap in real-time risk intelligence.

“One of the most persistent challenges in disaster risk reduction is not the absence of data but the fragmentation of information,” he said.

“Across institutions, we generate vast and valuable datasets on hazards, exposure and vulnerability. Often, these remain dispersed across systems, limiting their full potential,” Solidum continued.

The website integrates advisories from Phivolcs, weather bureau and the mines and geosciences bureau.

It also offers near real-time monitoring, location-based alerts, AI-assisted tools and interactive dashboards.

“We developed tools, making risk information more accessible to communities,” Solidum said.

Users can report incidents to accelerate response coordination and emergency operations.

They can report flooding, fires, road accidents, or other on-the-ground emergencies.

The website also features an SOS alert so users can share their location with responders.

An AI-powered assistant chatbot, meanwhile, provides access to hazard, weather and location-based safety information.

“Through the Handa platform, we are advancing a multidisciplinary approach that connects science, governance and communities. Together we can ensure that knowledge becomes action, and action becomes resilience,” Solidum said.