Smart app boosts disaster response

The Philippines remains highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters, including typhoons, floods, wildfires, and earthquakes. Yet most emergency infrastructure is outdated and unaffordable for smaller and resource-limited areas.

For instance, in Metro Manila, news about fires in residential areas is everywhere. Whenever it rains, the water level rises rapidly in various parts of the country, especially the flood-prone areas.

This prompted the development of a mobile application designed to ensure faster and more automated emergency response.

Developed by a Filipina inventor with the support of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Alerto PH is a mobile application designed to enhance community safety by delivering urgent alerts and important notifications, particularly during emergencies and disasters.

It acts as a platform that links third-party devices — such as fire and theft alarms, smoke and gas detectors, flood sensors, CCTV cameras, and burglar alarms — to government emergency responders via a decentralized command center network.

“When these devices detect danger, whether it is a fire, break-in, or flood, they can automatically trigger alerts through our app to both the property owner and the nearest responders, even if no one is able to call for help,” Cristina Macaraig, inventor of Alerto PH, explained.

“On the back end, our command center uses remote sensing, data aggregation, and AI to give local governments and emergency teams real-time information so they can respond faster and manage their communities more effectively,” Macaraig added.

Macaraig is the founder and chief executive officer of Wiredfield Philippines Inc., a woman-led Filipino startup registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company is committed to helping local government units (LGUs) build safer, more resilient communities by using smart city technologies — like the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence — before, during and after emergencies.

During a media conference organized by the DoST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute, Macaraig shared her inspiration on why she came up with an innovation that addresses gaps in disaster risk management.

Macaraig worked for 10 years in the United States, where she gained hands-on experience in software development and product marketing.

She also took on side projects in the Philippines as a monitoring and evaluation specialist and geographic information systems specialist for LGUs and non-profit organizations.

According to Macaraig, this line of work is where she gained a deeper understanding of how data, mapping, and local insights can be powerful tools to strengthen communities and improve public services, and these experiences inspired her to return home and start a company focused on building sustainable, impact-driven technology tailored to the unique needs of Filipino communities.