On April 30, Google Philippines will host a 2-part crisis response summit that will bring together representatives from various sectors to discuss ways on how to respond to crisis more effectively using collaborative technology.
The morning session will be a technical workshop focusing on the functionality of online tools such as Person Finder, which allows users to post about relatives, as well as check on their status. Crisis Maps, which allows for the monitoring of typhoons, and the location of critical points such as shelters, relief zones and supply points will also be discussed, along with Public Alerts, a Google platform for disseminating emergency messages such as typhoon warnings and evacuation notices for floods. Participants will be trained to put together a crisis page, as well as given usage tips on how to use the Google Maps Engine Lite. They will also be taught to create custom maps on which points of interest, such as crisis areas, flooded zones and other important information can be pinned.
The second part in the afternoon will have speakers from the government, private sector, and media who will share ideas and best practices on crisis response. Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, is expected to lead the roster of speakers. Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, chair of the United Nations Green Climate Fund board, will join a panel discussion that will zero in on finding solutions to the challenges faced by responding organizations.
“Google believes in the strength of collaboration. We have seen how quickly the communities, the government and private organizations respond to the needs of Filipinos in times of crises and we want to build on that by providing an avenue where they can learn how to use technology to their advantage, and explore ways on how they can work effectively together,” said Gail Tan, Google Philippines Country Communications Manager.
The event will be at SMX MOA and will run from 9 am to 12 noon, and then from 1300 to 1700. To sign up, fill out the form posted on Google Philippines’ Google+ and Twitter pages. Limited slots are available, so act fast