Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

Province of Laguna

COLLEGE OF COMPUTER STUDIES

Title Proposal
Proponent/Researcher: Alliana M. Miranda
Christian Angelo B. Atienza – BSIT 3B
Mia V. Villarica
Project Title: Municipal Emergency Response Management Information System for the Municipality of
Santa Cruz Laguna
Disaster has taken lives of many, calamities natural or human-induced become
disaster if not prevented or managed well. The process of disaster management
involves four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The
mitigation phase is the attempt to reduce disaster risks by focusing on long-term
measures of eliminating disasters. The preparedness phase is the development of an
action plan for an upcoming disaster. The response phase is the mobilization of
services and relief when disaster strikes, and the recovery phase is the restoration of
the affected area to its previous state. (Coppola, 2007).
Disaster prevention, mitigation, reaction, and recovery are all aided by
information and communication technology (ICTs). Government agencies and other
humanitarian actors involved in rescue operations and decision-making processes
need timely, predictable, and effective information.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDDRMO) of Santa
Cruz Laguna handles emergency response management for the Municipality of Santa
Cruz, Laguna. The proponents have conducted preliminary investigation on this
matter, visited the office of MDDRMO Head Engr. Joshua Vitaliz and conducted
interview. The proponents also conducted intensive online research for literature
review, current IT trends and technology gap analysis since the proponents are not
familiar with the emergency management of a municipality.
It was found out that one of the main problems that MDDRMO encounters are
Introduction
the legitimacy of reports. In case of responding to a hoax report, effort and time is
wasted. Likewise, the caller’s data can’t be identified to find the location of the
incident and to confirm if they are a resident of the particular municipality. Even the
slightest delay in the response in case of emergency can change the outcome of an
incident. It may cost the life of people or may increase the amount of casualties. Their
problem is how they will be able to reduce the response time of the MDDMO.
Showing the location can help the responders in preparing the equipment and
coordinate with the proper responders.
In addition to this, several problems were revealed in handling emergency
response management from handling emergency response –communication, data
management and report generation. Specifically solving the issues such as hoax
report, location detection, responder’s coordination, data transmission, after-incident
reports generation, data storage and various report generation.
The development of an automated emergency response management system
provides faster responding time in case of emergency incidents for the Municipal
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Santa Cruz Laguna and its residents.
This will enhance the communication between the responders and the residents,
manage pertinent data and generate relevant report.
The Municipal Emergency Response Management Information System for the
Municipality of Santa Cruz Laguna is consisting of incident reporting for the residents

Form 2
1
 using mobile applicationwith geo-location identification and providing ideal user
experience , incident monitoring for the MDDRMO staff and incident management
for the MDDRMO Head using web application. The proponents will be using Rapid
Application Development (RAD) in the development of both mobile and web
application, Unity will be utilized for the design and development of the mobile
application and PHP and its database will be used for the web application. Testing
and user evaluation will be conducted after the development of the system to ensure
the viability and usability of the developed system for a possible deployment.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Santa Cruz
Laguna encounters several problems in handling emergency response management
from handling emergency response –communication, data management and report
generation. Specifically solving the issues such as hoax report, location detection,
responder's coordination, data transmission, after-incident reports generation, data
storage and various report generation.
The proponents would like to focus on ICT application in disaster risk
management can help improve the incident response in the municipality. Explicitly,
recommending the development of an automated emergency response management
system that would provide faster responding time in case of emergency incidents for
Statement of the the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Santa Cruz Laguna and
Problem its residents. This will enhance the communication between the responders and the
residents, manage pertinent data and generate relevant report.
The proposed system will be consisting of incident reporting for the residents
using mobile application with geo-location identification and providing ideal user
experience, incident monitoring for the MDDRMO staff and incident management for
the MDDRMO Head using web application. The proponents will be using Rapid
Application Development (RAD) in the development of both mobile and web
application, Unity will be utilized for the design and development of the mobile
application and PHP and its database will be used for the web application. Testing
and user evaluation will be conducted after the development of the system to ensure
the viability and usability for the possible implementation.

Objective of the Study The study aims to develop, test and evaluate the user acceptability of the
automated emergency response management system for the Municipality of Santa
Cruz Laguna – MDRMMO that would handle emergency response management
including stable communication between residents and responders, geolocation
detection of the resident (emergency reporters), incident monitoring, response
support data management and report generation which has the potential to help
save lives, limit damage, and reduce the costs of dealing with emergencies.
Specifically, this study sought to find out the following:
1. to identify the current process of MDDRMO and the municipality of Santa
Cruz in handling emergency incidents;
2. to design and develop an automated emergency response management
system for Santa Cruz Laguna
a. incident reporting
b. incident monitoring
c. incident management;
3. to test the functionalities of the developed system based on the major
features of the developed system
a. communication between residents and responders
b. data management
c. report generation
4. to evaluate user acceptance and behavioral intention to use of the developed
system

Form 2
2
 a. Quality Factors
b. Perceive Ease of Use
c. Perceived Usefulness
d. Experience
e. Attitude Towards Using
f. Behavioral Intention to Use

In this proposal, there were three main points focused on namely: 1.) design and
development of the system 2.) system testing and 3.) user acceptance testing. The
proposal has its scope and set limitations in terms of investigation, content and
methodology to name a few. The following are the scope of the study:
 The project initialization as reflected on the conceptual framework were
accomplished thru preliminary investigation specifically research of literature,
online research, observation, and interview to answer the address the initial
research question which is to identify the current process of MDRMMO Santa
Cruz, Laguna in handling emergency situations.
 The preliminary investigation has led the proponents to propose to the
development of a Municipal Emergency Information system focusing on
three main features which is (1) incident reporting (2) incident monitoring
and (3) incident management.
 The conceptualization of a web and mobile application development which
will be handled by categorized user will also be reflected in the study. Also, a
substantial technology gap analysis will be conducted to evaluate and adhere
to current state of technology through intense online research.
 The study would also cover an elaboration of the technical aspect in the
Scope and Limitation
design and development of the web and mobile application by presenting use
of the Study
case diagrams, HIPO, data dictionaries and other supporting documents.
 The Municipality of Santa Cruz, Laguna has been willing to be a part of the
study as the locale and beneficiaries of the proposed system. The citizens,
MDRMMO Staff and Head will be the main respondents for the study.
However, since the study would also cover system testing the proponents will
obtain IT experts to conduct system testing.
 The study will also cover a combination of qualitative and quantitative
research method. Acquiring qualitative data will be useful in the design and
development of the system and the quantitative data will be significant in the
user acceptance testing.

Yet, the study still has its own limitations:

 The study does not cover deployment or implementation plan.
 The study is limited to technical feasibility therefore it does not cover
operational, economic and socio-economic .

Review of Literatures The researchers collected the information that are greatly related to the study. These
and Related Systems related studies and literature are compiled in this section as a basis in the
development of the system. Related studies and projects are listed below in thematic
order:

Theme 1: Crowdsourcing in Emergency Response

In the study of Paulican (2011) entitled “Social Media for Risk Management and
Emergency Response for Philippine Local Government Units” it was discussed that
the great difference on informing the citizens or local government units and

Form 2
3
responding to emergencies with the use of mass media and social networking sites.
This idea was applied to the study but instead of using social networking sites, the
researchers developed a mobile application for the sole purpose of sending
emergency reports to the fire brigade for easier access, and better communication
with a specific intention.
In addition to this, the study entitled “Citizen as Human Sensors” written by
Aedo (2013), states that the researcher is applying the use of real-time information
by sending the current state of the situation through giving updates and photos to
the responders. Regarding the sending of continuous reports from different persons
the study can add a function that counteracts hoax reports by prioritizing registered
users with confirmed personal details over unregistered ones. Applying this type of
process on the study, this will reduce the time of sending reports and receiving
updated details for the fire department that provide ideas on how the fire brigade
will approach the incident. Also, gathering information using mobile phones are
richer with the help of built-in sensors. These sensors help to identify the location of
the citizen with the use of Google Maps without the residents stating the address
through phone call.

Theme 2: Mobile Technology in Emergency Response Management

The previously stated literatures presented that citizens plays a significant role
in an effective emergency crisis. At this point, the proponents would like to discuss
about how mobile technology contributed in an effective emergency response
management.
Also, in the study written by Bitti (2012) entitled “Automated EM” it was stated
that instead of a remote control, mobile phones are used in the study which acts a
remote to send commands. The use of mobile phone is efficient as people always
have their phone near them meanwhile carrying an extra remote control might be a
hassle for others. The rapid technology advancement of mobile phone is also an
advantage as phones nowadays are more capable than simply for calling and for
texting. This would aid the study in developing a mobile application as a tool for the
residents for sending alert messages instead of commands. Residents are only
needed to state the current status of the situation, take a photo if the phone is
connected on the internet, and the other details will be generated automatically that
was entered from the account registration.
Also, in the study of Tuazon (2016) entitled “I-Dial: Calamba Rescue Hotline near
You in Android Using Fortune’s Algorithm”, the researchers developed an android
application that provides the contact information of the nearest emergency station
from the user’s location using internet. With the function of this study, it is useful for
users who doesn’t have the contact information of their needed emergency station
but in times of emergency, it is quite inefficient as it requires internet and the loading
of information is depending on the internet speed. The deficiency of this study is
applied and enhanced to the propose system that contacts the fire department
directly without searching for the contact information. FCYMAA being one of the
nearest fire department in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, they will be contacted in times of need.

Theme 3: Geolocation in Emergency Response

The previously stated literatures presented that citizens and technology are
significant tool in an effective emergency crisis. In this section, the proponents would
also like to present the gathered literature that shows the significance of geolocation
in emergency response management.
According to the study “Mobile Emergency Response Application Using
Geolocation” by Jethro B. de Guzman, Ritz Carlo C. de Guzman, and Engr. Remedios
G. Ado (2014) which states that a combination of a web and mobile application for

Form 2
4
responding in different emergency requests in a certain city is much more useful and
efficient. The mobile application will detect the user’s current location and sends it to
the web application deployed. The goal of the study is not to create a new protocol in
emergency response but to maximize the use of smartphones to act as a medium and
help people save lives. The gathered ideas in this study is used to create the mobile
application intended for the resident or citizen reporter of the incident that uses
Geolocation for tracking.
Likewise, Fabito (2016) stated in his study entitled “AppLERT” a mobile
application for incident and disaster notification for Metro Manila. In the study it was
stated that the Philippines is battered by different natural and man-made disasters. It
cannot be disputed that despite its magnificent and natural beauty, the country
suffers from these devastations. Although the government has set in mitigation and
prevention plans, little is put into consideration when the disaster happens. The study
focuses on the application of Information Communications Technology (ICT) in a form
of an android based mobile application that gives victims the capability to seek help
when a disaster or incident strikes. In addition, people can notify others of the danger
ahead through AppLERT and Facebook so that they can avoid the area where the
danger is through crowdsourcing. It seeks to help expedite the response time of the
responding unit using the user's mobile phone built-in GPS.

In this section, the proponents will discuss the current state of technology and
project related to the research topic.

Related Project:

The Project NOAH is an inter-active website managed by the University of the

Philippines that aims to raise awareness of the Filipino people on the disaster risks.
The project’s goal is to provide accessible, reliable, and relevant scientific disaster
type of data. The website includes information about the weather, location of
sensors, data on flooded areas, landslide-prone areas, Philippine boundaries with
areas of responsibility, critical facilities, and dengue monitoring. The figure below
depicts the interface of the said website.

Figure 1. Project NOAH Website

On the other hand, Project AGOS is a collaborative platform that mixes

government action with civic engagement to help communities alleviate risks and
deal with climate change and natural hazards. It uses mobile and web technologies
with social media. The project ensures the flow of critical and relevant information

Form 2
5
 for those who need it before, during, or after disasters. It also connects those who
seek to rescue directly with those who can truly help in the community. The
screenshot of the website is shown by the given figure.

Figure 2. The Project AGOS Design

Conceptual Framework

Initialization

Municipal
Emergency
Response
User Management Rapid
Acceptance Information Application
Testing System for the Development
Municipality of
Santa Cruz
Laguna

System Testing

Figure 3. Conceptual Framework of Municipal Emergency Response Management Information System for the
Municipality of Santa Cruz Laguna

The conceptual framework of the study illustrates how the research will be
conducted. The framework reflects the research objectives and activities to be

Form 2
6
 conducted.

1. Congjuico, T. S. (2014). Social Media for Risk Management and Emergency

Response for Philippine Local Government Units. JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT
AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, 3(1). Retrieved from
http://ejournals.ph/form/cite.php?id=6593

2. Irin B. G. (2012). Philippines Switches On To Using SMS In Typhoon And Disaster

Response. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/2012/jul/19/philippines-sms-
typhoon-disaster-response

3. Guzman, J. B., Guzman, R. C., & Ado, R. G. (2014). Mobile Emergency Response
Application Using Geolocation for Command Centers. International Journal of
Computer and Communication Engineering, 3(4), 235-238.
doi:10.7763/ijcce.2014.v3.327

4. Barreiro, V., Jr. (2014.). Batingaw, a Philippine disaster response app. Retrieved
from http://www.rappler.com/technology/features/64410-batingaw-disaster-
response-app

5. Dudovski, J. (2014). Descriptive Research. Retrieved September 01, 2017, from

http://research-methodology.net/about-us/
References
6. Kertrestel, C. (n.d.). Mobile phones are key to emergency aid in the Philippines.
Retrieved September 01, 2017, from
http://www.mobilephones.com/news/mobile-phones-key-to-emergency-aid-in-
philippines/

7. Roa, A. (2012, August 13). Philippines cited for mobile phone use. Retrieved from
https://technology.inquirer.net/14162/philippines-cited-for-mobile-phone-use

8. Reporting the environment in 160 characters. (2013, July 24). Environews PH.
Retrieved from http://environews.ph/climate-change/reporting-the-
environment-in-160-character/

9. Ejeta, L. T. (2015). Application of Behavioral Theories to Disaster and Emergency

Health Preparedness: A Systematic Review [Abstract]. PLoS Currents.
doi:10.1371/10.1371/currents.dis.31a8995ced321301466db400f1357829

10. Blanford. (2015). 6 Benefits of Real-Time Data for Emergency Response.

Retrieved from https://www.d4htechnologies.com/blog/post/20150616-6-
benefits-of-real-time-data-for-emergency-response

Prepared by:

Form 2
7
Form 2
8