Tacloban residents urged to use anti-drugs mobile app

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct 2 -- The city government here has urged residents to use the recently launched anti-illegal drugs, criminality and corruption mobile application to help improve the city’s peace and order situation.

Mayor Cristina Romualdez said on Monday the City Management Information System Division developed the application as a new mechanism to systematically report incidents related to illegal drugs, crimes and corruption committed in the city.

The system is dubbed "Mamayang Ayaw sa Anomaliya, Mamayang Ayaw sa Illegal na Droga Mobile Application" (Masa Masid App).

It was launched on September 28 to encourage community participation and empowerment.

“It is exclusively made for the highly urbanized city of Tacloban to protect and secure the identity of the person reporting the illegal activities in their respective barangays,” Romualdez told reporters.

The Masa Masid app, which can be downloaded by visiting the local government’s official site tacloban.gov.ph, serves as a hotline coursed through Tacloban's CCGR (Community Climate Guide Response) text alert system.

The CCGR processes the information and immediately acts by referring the report on illegal drugs to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police (PNP); crime and terrorism to the PNP; and corruption to the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The program has devised a mechanism where individuals can report an incident without identifying themselves.

According to Romualdez, the app answers the fears of vigilant citizens. “Any villager without identifying himself or herself can report or describe the exact incident, what address or barangay and identify the culprit of the crime committed,” she said.

The mobile application using the CCGR alert system is expected to save many lives during emergencies.

The program is Tacloban’s fast communication response system to alert its constituents about weather conditions, especially if there is a typhoon, earthquake, or tsunami. Other icons tapped include police, fire, rescue, evacuation, and school classes.

The people of Tacloban can avail of the service by registering their mobile phone number. They automatically receive daily updates or alert warnings. (LAAA/PNA)