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Disaster Risk Mitigation via SMS-Based Information Dissemination in

Pangasinan

Conference Paper · February 2015

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2854.1601

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 Disaster Risk Mitigation via SMS-Based Information Dissemination
in Pangasinan
Medina, Jeimson D. Viado, Rachelle Quenly R.
Student Student
College of Computer Studies College of Computer Studies
AMA Computer College Dagupan City, AMA Computer College Dagupan City,
Philippines Philippines
[email protected] [email protected]

De Guzman, Anjo F. Sino Cruz, Matthew John F.

Student Assistant Professor 1
College of Computer Studies College of Computer Studies
AMA Computer College AMA Computer College
Dagupan City, Philippines Dagupan City, Philippines
[email protected] [email protected]

Abstract
Recognizing the fact that reliable information is the most valued necessity before and
after a disaster, this study revisited the disaster risk mitigation processes in the province of
Pangasinan to review its conformance with the R.A. No. 10121 of 2010 also known as the
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan 2011-2018. Additionally, the status of their
various practices and policies being implemented with regards to information management was
also assessed. The data were gathered from selected respondents who play key roles in the
development of the study using an unstructured interview. This study was conducted upon the
utilization of the descriptive-developmental type of research with the Layne and Lee Model as its
theoretical foundation. Furthermore, the Unified Modelling Language was seen as the
methodology that impeccably suits the preferred theoretical model. Software engineering tools
such as use case diagram, entity-relationship diagram, database schema, wireframes, and average
weighted mean were used to further analyze the gathered data. This paper therefore recommends
that all concerned sectors should consider the integration of information and communications
technology in the development of their disaster-related information management.

Keywords: disaster risk mitigation, information management, disaster management, disaster risk
reduction management

I. Introduction
Pangasinan’s vulnerability to various calamities particularly flash floods, storm surge,
and landslides, throughout the years, have substantially lead to mounting number of casualties,
radical economic breakdown, and instability of necessary resources. Considering its geographical
location, which is settled along the shores of Lingayen Gulf with various river systems that serve
as the catch basin of waters coming from the highlands, it is frequently devastated by massive
flooding, further supplemented by cyclic tidal rise of the sea. The cost of such disasters has
undoubtedly taken a heavy toll on the economy and human lives in the province of Pangasinan.
Later on, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan 2011-2018 which
provides a legal basis for policies, plans, and programs to deal with disasters has been adopted.
This was formulated under the R.A. No. 10121 of 2010 and implemented by the National
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council through the office of civil defense that sets out
goals and specific objectives for reducing disaster risks together with related actions to
accomplish these objectives, aims at strengthening the capacity of national and local government
units in building disaster resilience of communities, and builds the need for institutionalizing
information management mechanisms.
The preceding statements became the foundation of this study through a thorough
analysis that managing disaster is managing information. Good quality and easy-to-access
information is an essential aid for the specialists working in disasters. Decision-making and
optimization of resources as part of the process in disaster prevention and mitigation, depend
heavily as well on the exchange of and access to clear and good quality information.
As stated by Iannella (2007), there is a significant role for ICT to play an even more
relevant role for disaster mitigation at the information level. Furthermore, Xia (2009) claimed
that

Information Technology (IT) has been useful to reduce the disaster impacts via social
network Medias, and web services (WS) where people can get in touch with lost relatives
and friends. IT tools are very important to manage in a disaster.

An article authored by Huang (2014) stated that social media including short messages,
microblogs, and news portals, because of their high impact and coverage ratio made possible by
developments in information technology, are becoming increasingly popular and therefore
critical tools of information dissemination. They can enhance the decision-making process since
more data is provided than it is the case with traditional media. However, some traditional media,
including cell phones, television, and oral communication, also play important roles in
information dissemination. In some serious disaster cases, when all electronic networks are
paralyzed, traditional media such as oral communication, albeit slower, can still be employed.
On the other hand, the study conducted by Zhang (2014) asserted that short message
administrations and cell phones have more exhaustive information dissemination capacities than
other information media yet they have lower degrees of trust. TV is likewise a decent
information dissemination medium. It has a higher information scope and the most noteworthy
level of trust. Contrasted with other information media, oral correspondence is not extraordinary
in data scattering pace. News entries and microblogs could be utilized as helper instruments,
however their information coverage is not expansive. Each of the six media has distinctive
quality and limits. Their analysis shows that SMSs have the highest speed while verbal
communication allows better explanation of complex situations.
Like many other areas, people in Pangasinan mostly depend on mass media as it
extensively cover disaster-related information and significantly affect how and what the public
learns about and how it perceives natural hazards. It is certainly advantageous for disaster-related
information management as they provide easy access to large publics. On the other hand, it still
possesses some disadvantages particularly the issue where programs are not always on at
convenient times. The timeliness of information delivered by mass media is considered
inefficient. However, Mrs. Avenix Arenas, the PDRRMC spokesperson in Pangasinan, the local
government uses various technologies for disseminating disaster-related information which are
all basically dependent on text messaging and the internet.
The presented statements and situations served as the basis and driving factor of this
study. The developers acknowledged the impact of text messaging and internet in disaster risk
 mitigation, and came up with the idea of merging the two technology in developing a Disaster
Risk Mitigation via SMS-Based Information Dissemination System. The study was conducted to
address the following questions: a) what are the most common issues that the current process of
Pangasinan’s disaster-related information management confronts? b) what are the intended
requirements to be met in order to address such problems? c) what are the features to be
integrated with the system to meet the requirements? d) to which extent can the system be
feasible/ viable enough to support the Disaster-related information management of Pangasinan?
The study focuses only on disasters triggered by typhoons since among the hazards that
have been identified as the most prevalent in the province for the past years, is the occurrence of
typhoon which is usually associated with intense rainfall resulting to flooding in the low lying
areas most particularly the central plains of the province.

II. Methodology
The development of certain guidelines and plans of accomplishing the study as well as its
stated objectives were made possible through the utilization of descriptive-developmental
research type. Descriptive type of research was employed because of the involved observations
and assessments of the study that ascend from the gathered and analyzed data ascertaining the
requirements of the study. On the other hand, the developmental type of research assists in the
development of the proposed system using the gathered functional and non-functional
requirements.
The developers preferred to use the Unified Modeling Language as it significantly aided
in visualizing the system to be built based upon the requirements imposed by the intended
stakeholders. Figure 1 shows the four phases of Unified Modeling Language which is
represented as series of cycles including inception wherein the developers defined the scope and
possible architecture of the system; elaboration where the developers analyzed the requirements
for further possible improvements, addressing significant risks on an ongoing development;
construction which allowed the developers to build the system iteratively and incrementally; and
transition wherein the developers has undergone bug-fix and several iterations through
addressing the previously unidentified problems. A cycle ends with the release version of the
system to customers.

Figure 1. Unified Modeling Language

The developers have chosen the Layne and Lee Model to be the theoretical foundation of
the study which is described as an evolutionary e-government maturity model that focuses on the
e-government evolution using sequential steps. The preferred model was deemed essential to the
study as it allowed the developers to fully understand the processes that the system should
observe. The conformance of the system to the identified sequential events shall prove its
accuracy.
Figure 2 shows the four stages of Layne and Lee Model namely Catalogue wherein the
PDRRMC will be delivering information through the web which could be viewed or
disseminated to the other users; Transaction wherein the citizens are allowed to interact with the
local government through the means of sending and requesting disaster-related information;
Vertical Integration wherein the transaction information of the citizen shall route to the
appropriate counterparts in a downward or upward manner which integrates central and local
administration; and Horizontal Integration which allows the integration of the developed system
in the different concerned agencies to provide a unified service to the users.

Figure 2. Layne and Lee Model

The developers conducted an unstructured interview to obtain reliable and valid

information which is considered to be an essential element in the development of the system.
This type of interview generates qualitative data as it provides the opportunity for the developers
to gain deep understanding of the situation and ask for clarifications. The respondents are limited
only to the stakeholders who play key roles in the development of the study. Open-ended
questions pertinent to the study were clarified as deemed necessary during the course of
interview in order to elicit proper responses. Questions were presented in accordance to the order
of its significance.
To further analyze the gathered data, various software engineering tools were used
including: a) wireframes which allowed the developers to determine the layout of the web
interface as well as the positions of the elements, thus, allowing the stakeholders to settle their
desired layout before the coding stage; use case diagram which is used in identifying the basic
features that the system should possess and ascertain the workflow of the system; entity-
relationship diagram which identifies the entities to be included in the system and their linkages
to one another; database schema which aided the developers in organizing the data and defining
the graphical depiction of the database structure; and average weighted mean which allowed the
developers to determine the usability of the system were also employed.

III. Results and Discussion

Issues on the current process of Pangasinan’s disaster-related information management
In pursuance to the provision of Republic Act No. 10121, otherwise known as the
Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010, the Provincial Government of
Pangasinan has organized its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC)
which was tasked to ensure an effective and efficient coordination and implementation of the
various programs, projects and activities in order to raise the level of public awareness,
consciousness and responsiveness in Disaster Emergency Response, Rescue and Relief
Operations to include public safety and rehabilitation. In times of disasters and emergencies, all
concerned agencies and offices are convened at the Emergency Operations Center to carry out
their individual tasks, duties and functions contributing towards the attainment of a common
PDRRMC’s goal to protect lives and properties of the people, if possible ―Zero Casualty in the
province (PDRRMP, pp. 1). The figure 3 shows the information management hierarchy in
conformance to the PDRRMP which will serve as the basis of the system’s information
management processing.

Figure 3. Information Management Hierarchy

In spite of maintaining a legal basis for the policies and activities being implemented by
the PDRRMC, the province of Pangasinan constantly experiences such issues concerning the
management of disaster-related information.

Inefficient compilation of reports regarding disaster-related information. Piles of papers and

folders is always an issue in a management. This may be a small thing to others, but as they say,
big problems comes from small issues. There are instances wherein the reports are compiled in a
disorderly manner and the officials could hardly find the needed files. On the other hand, if the
file is in an officer’s computer, and the computer malfunctioned, it’ll be a total mess especially if
they have no other back-ups.
Inadequate coordination of disaster-related information. The involved people and offices
often experiences misinterpretation of the relayed information which results to misidentification
of and failure of delivery to the concerned agencies. There are instances wherein the released
report which was supposed to be given to the three concerned agencies was only given to one.
The other two were questioned for not responding to the incident, and they eventually answered
that they didn’t received the report.
Lack of wide-ranged information dissemination. Though equipped with information
disseminating tools, the province has not yet maximized the full potential of these tools in
efficiently delivering timely and vital information. This situation triggers confusion in decision-
making which is a vital process in disaster risk mitigation. When not resolved, the goal of the
PDRRMP will not be attained.

Functional Requirements
As stated by Sommerville (2004), functional requirements describes how the system react
on a particular inputs and how the system should behave in a particular situation. Observations,
questionnaires, and interviews served as the basis in determining the functional requirements of
the system. Table 1 displays the functional requirements to be attained by the system as
determined through the analysis of gathered data.

Table 1. Functional Requirements of Disaster Mitigation via SMS – Based Information

Dissemination System
Stakeholders Functional Requirements
• Disseminate information to the citizens of the province as well
Admin as the concerned agencies.
• Activate and deactivate account
• Approval and disapproval of reports
LGU • Approval and disapproval of user registration
• Disseminating updates to the registered citizens
• Send reports and requests such as food, evacuation, and rescue
Regular Users
• Receive updates sent by PDRRMC or the LGUs
• Receives reports concerning passable roads and rescue
operation
PNP
• Respond to reports concerning passable roads and rescue
operation
• Receives reports concerning structural damages
PEO
• Send reports concerning structural damages to the PDRRMC
• Receives reports concerning mortalities and injuries
PHO • Respond to reports concerning mortalities and injuries
• Send disaster-related information to the citizens
• Receives reports concerning agricultural damages
PAGO
• Send reports concerning agricultural damages to the PDRRMC
• Receives reports concerning relief operations and evacuations
PSWD • Respond to reports concerning relief operations and
evacuations

Non-Functional Requirements

Non-functional requirements were defined as the constraints on the services or function

offered by the system such as timing constraints, constraints on the development process,
standards, etc.(Sommerville, 2004). Table 2 shows the non-functional requirements to be
integrated in the system as determined through the analysis of gathered data. By possessing these
requirements, the system could perform the intended task properly.

Table 2. Non-Functional Requirements of Disaster Mitigation via SMS – Based Information

Dissemination System
Non-Functional Requirements Description
Accuracy • The system should provide accurate
information to the users.

Availability • The system should provide the services

needed by a particular stakeholder.

Reliability • The system should be able to meet the

requirements needed by the stakeholders.

Security • The system should ensure unauthorized

access and resist deliberate attacks.
• The level of accessibility should
correspond to the key roles of the users.

Error Tolerance • The system should be able to avoid or

tolerate the input error committed by the
user.

Features of the Developed System

The concept of Disaster Mitigation via SMS – Based Information Dissemination System
was developed to address the issues being encountered by the province of Pangasinan regarding
disaster-related information management. Its mission is to create a disaster risk mitigation culture
as it focuses on improving the compilation, processing, and dissemination of disaster-related
information; offering quality information services to a wide range of users; and promoting the
use of electronic technology for the provision of information services.

Plate 1. Home Page Plate 2. Preparedness Page

 Plate 1 displays the home page where they can read the newsfeeds, announcements,
updates, and cases during and after the disaster while Plate 2 shows the preparedness page which
contains videos about typhoon, flood, and emergency kit and manuals that the users can read to
enhance their knowledge on how and what to do in case of disaster onslaughts.

Plate 3. Weather Forecast Plate 4. Hazard Maps

Plate 3 provides an overview of the Project NOAH as it is embedded in the system. This
includes real-time updates coming from PAG-ASA. And Plate 4 illustrates the hazards maps
given by the PDRRMC.

Acceptability of the Developed System

Nickerson (n.d.) defined acceptability as the demonstrable willingness within a user

group to employ information technology for the task it is designed to support. To test the
acceptability of the developed system, the developers conducted a user acceptance testing survey
to the intended stakeholders including representatives for the citizens, and the agencies involved
in the disaster mitigation process.

Table 3. Evaluation of the system according to acceptability

Description Mean Description
Miscellaneous 4.7 SA
Interface 4.82 SA
Security 4.6 SA
Error Tolerance 4.9 SA
Reliability 4.6 SA
Accuracy 4.6 SA
Availability 4.95 SA
Weighted Mean 4.7 SA
Legend: SA-Strongly Agree, A-Agree, U-Undecided, D-Disagree, SD-Strongly Disagree

Table 3 shows the result of the evaluation in terms of the overall acceptability of the
developed system which in turn, suggest that the stakeholders strongly agrees with the newly
introduced concept, as justified by a general weighted mean of 4.7.
IV. Conclusion and Recommendations

The results of this study indicate that disaster-related information management in the
province of Pangasinan poses challenges and opportunities for the ICT sector. Hence, the concept
of this study was developed to address the needs of the people and sectors involved in disaster-
related information management of Pangasinan. Through the use of the developed system, the
vast majority of LGU’s and other concerned agencies can disseminate disaster-related
information within their communities at the regional and local levels. The creation of this study
will strengthen the diverse linkages and initiatives to escalate the level of information
accessibility in such a way that will decisively contribute to disaster risk mitigation throughout
the province.

V. References

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