While human­i­tar­i­an aid con­tin­ues to flow albeit slow­ly in some areas in the
after­math of Typhoon Haiyan in cen­tral Philip­pines, the Ham Emer­gency Radio
Oper­a­tor net­work sta­tions are han­dling lots of vital messages. 

The death toll has been put at 2,000 or so offi­cial­ly, even though estimates
have been much higher. 

Ramon Anquilan DU1UGZ, of the Philip­pines Ama­teur Radio Asso­ci­a­tion (PARA),
said its Ham Emer­gency Radio Oper­a­tor or HERO net­work is work­ing inside the
dis­as­ter areas, and send­ing mes­sages on HF and VHF else­where in the archipelago. 

He reports that the first improve­ments in the relief response were felt with
cel­lu­lar mobile com­pa­nies begin­ning to restore their ser­vices in hard hit
Tacloban. 

The RADNET HERO sta­tion there had been han­dling inquiries about the whereabouts
of peo­ple in the Tacloban and the near­by Palo areas, but when Inter­net services
became avail­able the pres­sure from res­i­dents was great­ly reduced. 

The RADNET sta­tion could not oper­ate after dark due to a cur­few imposed to
main­tain law and order. 

Ramon DU1UGZ said that the Nation­al Telecom­mu­ni­ca­tions Com­mis­sion (NTC) has
now used the HERO net­work for sev­er­al messages. 

“It appears that NTC had an emer­gency meet­ing and decid­ed to pro­vide hams
in the area with mobile rigs and hand-held portables. 

“The NTC’s aware­ness of the impor­tance of Ama­teur Radio is matur­ing and there
are talks of our clubs train­ing and main­tain­ing sta­tions NTC region­al offices,”
he said. 
 
The nation­al agen­cies have relo­cat­ed the Com­mand Post to the Tacloban Grandstand.
For coor­di­na­tion rea­sons, the City Dis­as­ter Risk Reduc­tion and Mitigation
Coun­cil (CDRRMC) has joined them. 

Ramon DU1UGZ said that the hard-work­ing DU5AOK sta­tion is left by itself
in the sec­ond floor of city hall in Tacloban, with secu­ri­ty, food, and logistics
prob­lems start­ing to emerge. 

“We are urgent­ly request­ing assis­tance to sus­tain the DU5AOK sta­tion and
ensure oper­a­tions in the oth­er hard struck areas are estab­lished — Samar,
Panay, Cebu, Bili­ran, and the tourist area of Palawan,” he said. 

“We need equip­ment (field deploy­able sys­tems, pow­er source gen­er­a­tors and
anten­na sys­tems), food or ration packs and oper­a­tors tent.” 

Finan­cial dona­tions are also wel­come via the PARA Pay­pal account. 

— Jim Lin­ton VK3PC, Chair­man IARU Region 3 Dis­as­ter Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Committee.