SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 12 Nov) — The Butuan City government is eyeing to complete by May 2026 its Centralized Command Center, a key facility expected to transform Butuan’s disaster response and crisis coordination systems in the wake of recent calamities that battered the city.
Now under construction in Barangay Villa Kananga, the command center will serve as the nerve hub for all data and communication systems in Butuan City.
It will integrate real-time feeds from CCTV cameras, monitoring devices, and servers across the city to enable authorities to respond swiftly to emergencies, according to the city’s Public Information Office.
The civil and electrical works are nearing completion, with interior finishing, information technology (IT) infrastructure, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems installation next in line.
Once operational, the facility will connect the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD), Butuan City Police Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other response agencies under an integrated communication system, allowing faster dispatch and deployment of personnel, delivery of logistics, and execution of relief operations.
The project takes on added significance as Butuan continues to recover from the twin disasters that prompted the city’s declaration of a state of calamity last week.
According to the CDRRMD, Typhoon “Tino” (Kalmaegi) and Super Typhoon “Uwan” (Fung-wong) brought torrential rains that caused massive flooding, damaging crops and infrastructure, and displacing over 44,000 residents in 33 barangays.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the declaration during its special session on November 8, allowing the release of calamity funds and enforcement of price controls on essential goods.
With the command center nearing completion, Butuan officials hope the city will soon have a more coordinated and technology-driven emergency response system, reducing the human and economic toll of future disasters. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)
