The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), will officially launch Handa: The Integrated Platform for Preparedness, Early Warning, and Response on March 30, 2026, at The HIVE Hotel and Convention Place in Diliman, Quezon City.

The development of the platform is in response to the President’s directive to establish a unified platform for early warning and disaster-related information and supports the directive of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) under Memoranda No. 272, s. 2024 and No. 5, s.2022, which tasked DOST to lead the integration of existing platforms into a unified system for early warning, disaster preparedness, and response. Developed under the Geospatial Analytics and Technology Solutions (GATES) Program – Project 3, with the GATES Program serving as the overall program lead, Handa reflects sustained multi-agency collaboration and advances the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR–CCA) into a unified geospatial and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled platform.

Powered by GeoRiskPH, Handa integrates these capabilities into a unified system for preparedness, early warning, and response, ensuring informed decision-making across the phases of DRRM. Handa is envisioned to be institutionalized as the country’s national DRR–CCA platform for early warning data and analytics, enhancing public awareness, strengthening planning and coordination mechanisms, and building more resilient communities nationwide.

Handa offers near real-time monitoring, location-based alerts, AI-assisted tools, and interactive dashboards. It visualizes geologic and hydro-meteorological hazards, as well as critical facilities, and integrates advisories and warnings from DOST-PHIVOLCS, DOST-PAGASA, and DENR-MGB. For LGUs, NGAs, and other decision-makers, Handa offers secure, role-based dashboards with integrated analytics, disaster tracking, and event impact assessment tools to support continuous monitoring.

The platform also enables incident reporting to support response coordination and emergency operations. Users can report real-time incidents such as flooding, fires, road accidents, or other on-the-ground emergencies, helping authorities respond more effectively. In urgent situations, users can activate the Emergency SOS alert to share their location with responders. An AI-powered assistant chatbot provides access to hazard, weather, and location-based safety information. This encourages community participation by allowing citizens to report incidents, share on-the-ground observations, and actively contribute to situational awareness and response efforts.

As the lead system developer, DOST-PHIVOLCS, in collaboration with key agencies—including OCD, DOST–PAGASA, DENR–MGB, DILG, DOH, DSWD, and DPWH, integrated the data and capabilities of GeoRiskPH, along with initial concepts from PlanSmart Ready-to-Respond, into Handa, incorporating AI-enabled processes that help analyze data, generate insights, and provide faster, more accessible information to support decision-making. With the aim of nationwide implementation, Handa builds on years of collaboration among National Government Agencies (NGAs) through platforms such as the GeoRiskPH Integrated Database System, HazardHunterPH, GeoAnalyticsPH, and the El Niño Online Platform (ENOP); with Local Government Units (LGUs) through GeoMapperPH; and with the World Bank and partner LGUs through PlanSmart—collectively supporting hazard assessment, risk analysis, and disaster preparedness and response planning.

 

For more information, please contact:

TERESITO C. BACOLCOL
Director, DOST-PHIVOLCS
od@phivolcs.dost.gov.ph
+632 8426-1468