BACOLOD CITY — As the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) concluded the final leg of Handa Pilipinas 2025 in Bacolod City, the spotlight turned to a homegrown innovation that has been making waves across local government units (LGUs) in the region—Project SIGNAL.

Project SIGNAL, which stands for Strategic Incident Georeferencing for Nationwide Alertness, is an incident reporting and monitoring system designed for LGUs to track and respond to emergencies from landslides and floods to vehicular accidents and even medical emergencies.

Developed by DOST Region 6, Project SIGNAL allows LGUs to report incidents in their communities using a mobile application, which automatically geo-tags the location and sends it to the LGU’s Emergency Operations Center. This ensures that responders can act on accurate and real-time data and provide the necessary intervention to the communities while also building a database that helps in planning and risk analysis.

“So, it's really a very good planning and analytics tool for LGUs. Kasi pwede mong tingnan, ano 'yung mga incidents that happens in my LGU, ano 'yung frequency, saang specific location,” DOST-6 Regional Director  and DOST Negros Island Region Officer-in-Charge Engr. Rowen R. Gelonga explained.

He added that since the system has an advanced GIS (Geographic Information System) technology capability, the LGU can come up with science-based decisions.

“Bakit kaya dito palaging nagla-landslide? O, bakit kaya ditong location na 'to, this, this curve of the, of the road, of the highway, palagi may vehicular accident? And then 'pag titingnan mo 'yung kanyang topography, 'yung kanyang location, then you can better understand why these things or incidents continue to happen and come up with the appropriate response, ‘no? So it is a science-based solution," Dir. Gelonga emphasized.

Implemented in 2022, Project SIGNAL has already recorded more than 27,000 incident reports as of April 2025, including medical emergencies, vehicular accidents, and natural hazards. Data from DOST-6 also showed that 132 out of 139 LGUs in Western Visayas have activated their accounts, with over 875 registered incident reporters. Currently, Project SIGNAL is operational within the region only but Dir. Gelonga explained that they are aiming to expand the platform’s rollout nationwide, starting with other Visayas regions.

“We are now campaigning for more LGUs to use the system. And in fact, the reason why we are launching this in the Visayas is really to present this technology to the other local government units outside the Western Visayas, particularly for NIR (Negros Island Region), ah, Region 7, as well as Region 8,” Dir. Gelonga said.

He also expressed that should the adoption of the system expand further, they will look into the  possibility of discussing with the Department of the Interior and Local Government as well as with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for the resources needed to sustain the system.

In line with the Handa Pilipinas’ goal to enhance disaster resilience through science, technology, and innovation (STI), Project SIGNAL reflects DOST’s continuing commitment to empower communities with science-based solutions.

“There’s no one-size that fits all your needs, LGU or community needs. This is why Handa Pilipinas is going to each region in the country. Risks are local; therefore, resilience actions must be localized,” DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. expressed during his keynote speech.

Local officials in the region who also graced the event likewise shared the same support for DOST’s disaster-risk reduction initiatives and recognized it as a step towards improving preparedness at the grassroots level.

“We are grateful to the Department of Science and Technology for its continued partnership and support particularly through the provision of intensity meters in Negros Occidental and other LGUs. These instruments greatly enhance our capacity to monitor seismic activity, and provide timely data that help inform decision-making and safeguard communities,” Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose V. Lacson emphasized.

The Visayas leg of the Handa Pilipinas 2025 was conducted at the SMX Convention Center Bacolod City on October 27 and will run for free until October 29, 2025 featuring exhibits and techno-fora anchored on climate and disaster resilience. This marks the culmination of the nationwide exposition, following the Luzon leg in Baguio City and the Mindanao leg in Zamboanga City earlier this year.

The Handa Pilipinas is one of the many initiatives of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) aimed at providing science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions across four strategic pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability. These pillars embody the mantra OneDOST4U: Solutions and Opportunities for All. For more information, visit www.dost.gov.ph. (By Jasmin Joyce S. Clarin and photos by Xyrus Ivan De Gracia, DOST-STII)

DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. expresses the need for building a science-driven and people-centered Visayas during his keynote speech.