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By Jonathan M. Hicap, Reporter
Can we count on the popular SMS
or text messaging service in times of impending disaster?
Ten teams from seven universities
across the country showed that this could be done as they competed
in the 4th Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP)
Innovation and Excellence Awards held in Cebu City from February 1
to 3.
This year’s theme, “Going
Wireless for Disaster Preparedness,” was most appropriate since
the Philippines is the “most disaster-prone country in the
world,” according to Secretary Estrella Alabastro of the
Department of Science and Technology.
Mar Tamayo, head of Smart’s
Network Services Division, said the theme was selected since the
country lies within the “typhoon belt.”
Fifty-nine entries were received
this year and competed for the most innovative wireless
applications.
The SWEEP Awards is an offshoot
of SWEEP, which started as an industry-academe partnership that
seeks to help raise the level of technology and engineering
education, particularly in the field of Electronic and
Communications Engineering.
The team from the University of
St. La Salle in Bacolod won the SWEEP grand prize of P500,000 for
their program, “Geo-Specific Public Warning System Using Cell
Broadcasting.” Members of the group are Delman Alagao as team
leader, with members Francis Xavier Parcon, John Kimwell Laluma,
Paul Edward Alvarez and Mark Paolo Salada, all fourth-year ECE
students. Their mentor is Constancio Legaspi Jr.
According to the students, “The
system involves information senders who are authorized to broadcast
alert messages. By using a web interface that is connected to a Cell
Broadcast Broker through the web or a private network, authorities
will be able to log into the system by using username, password and
authentication keys.”
The second and third prizes went
to the teams from Ateneo de Manila University who were awarded
P300,000 and P150,000, respectively.
Ateneo’s Smart FAST, which won
second place, is a “flood alert service text that integrates flood
disaster management that synergizes both the local government and
private individuals’ efforts to reduce damage and casualties
brought about by floods. The service is a bundle of five different
services—flood alert service, evacuation tips service, donation
collection service, evacuation site status report serve and locate
family member service. The team is composed of Adrin Del Rosario,
Roy Khristopher Bayot, Archie Dolit and mentor Marie Engelene Obien.
The third place went to Smart
Guards, a “wireless outbreak tracking system that provides
information, analysis, and description in one wireless user-friendly
package. It protects Filipinos from viral and epidemic outbreaks
such as dengue, cholera, severe acute respiratory syndrome, bird flu
and the like. The team is composed of Jimson Ngeo, Jan Lester Gerard
Lofranco, Chrisando Favila, Adriell Julius and Matthew Dagasuan, and
mentor Marie Engelene Obien.
Other finalists are Ateneo de
Manila University’s Smart Disaster Aversion, Smart Billboard
Control from Bulacan State University, SIManager from Universidad de
Zamboanga, GPS-based Tsunami Warning System from Feati University,
SMARTGEAR from Wesleyan University, ILocate from Bulacan State
University and Bridge Health Strength Test Using Accelerometer with
Data Logging from Adamson University.
This is the first time that the
awarding ceremony of SWEEP was held outside Metro Manila.
Also held simultaneously with the
SWEEP Awards is the Smart’s PalaECEpan, a quiz contest for
engineering students of SWEEP partner schools. Edward Torres of
University of Negros Occidental beat four other contestants to win
P40,000 and a cell phone.
The winning entries in the SWEEP
Awards may end up being launched commercially as Secretary Alabastro
pledged to fund the winning entries.
The planned collaboration between
the DOST and Smart will benefit the students and the schools.
The DOST will test the viability
of the wireless application. Mon Isberto, spokesman for Smart, said
with the funding, the entries may end up being used as a regular
application for cell phone users and not only as prototypes.
The DOST has the money that can
be used to fund applications that it deems as commercially viable.
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