KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, Feb. 19 (PIA) - A public-private partnership has gained South Cotabato schools a communication system for disaster preparedness and response and parents notification.

Just recently, the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, South Cotabato Schools Division, and private partner Societe Des Joyeux (SDJ) Software Corporation and Schooltextblast Inc. launched Project SCHOOLTEXTBLAST, primarily as an early warning system and school-to-parents communication platform during disastrous incidents.

Andrei Udal, SDJ Software Corp. and Schooltextblast Inc. chaiman and president, led the launching of Project SCHOOLTEXTBLAST and orientation of public school teachers regarding the collaboration on February 6 to 7.

Project personnel are currently coordinating with public schools for the actual installation of the communication system.

Dr. Udal told Philippine Information Agency that the Project SCHOOLTEXTBLAST is a communication platform that "aims to prepare and empower younger generations studying at the public schools of the province about disaster risk reductions and disaster preparedness."

"Through a public-private partnership with the provincial government and DepEd, Project SCHOOLTEXBLAST will install vital early warning systems in each of the 392 public schools in the entire province and provide support for the implementation of a disaster preparedness education program," Udal said.

For this collaboration, SDJ Corp. and SchoolTextblast Inc. will provide each public school in South Cotabato with "P270,000 worth of software and hardware that will enable each school to send text messages to parents at the push of a buttton."

"The system can also help in daily communication to parents and learners about school advisories, and other important daily school announcements," he added.

He noted that in General Santos where the project was first implemented, the schooltextblast system is also being used by teachers to inform parents about the lessons that each of their children learned from their classes since the software is capable of sending personalized messages that can mention both parent and child by name.

"In a nutshell, the schools will be given communication resources just like that being used by the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council)," he said.

Schools and the Department of Education, on the other hand, contribute to the project by providing a laptop or a desktop where the textblast software will be installed, assigning two operators, establishing a database of mobile phone numbers of parents, and sustain the implementation of the project.

The South Cotabato Project SCHOOLTEXTBLAST is valued at P105.8 million with the provincial footing 2 percent of the cost.

Same project is also set for launching in North Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat Provinces in SOCCSKSARGEN Region in 6 weeks from the South Cotabato launching.

Udal said, they are also offering this partnership to other provinces in Mindanao and later in other parts of the Philippines.

SDJ Corporation and SchoolTextBlast Inc. offer the partnership with provincial governments and the DepEd under Republic Act 8525 (Adopt-A-School Act of 1998) from which they earn tax incentives as donor, he said. (DED-PIA XII)