Abalos Administration Bets on Tech with New Disaster Command Hub

MANDALUYONG CITY — Mayor Carmelita Abalos on Thursday led the inauguration and blessing of the new Mandaluyong City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) Building in Barangay Mauway, a flagship facility officials say will strengthen the city’s emergency preparedness and real-time response capabilities.

The ceremony forms part of the city’s twin celebrations for its 81st Liberation Anniversary and 32nd Cityhood Anniversary this February.

City insiders describe the four-story structure as among the largest and most modern disaster response facilities of its kind nationwide — designed to consolidate command, surveillance, and coordination functions under one roof. Present during the launch was former mayor and former Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary Benhur Abalos, who conceptualized the project during his term. Implementation, however, was carried through under Mayor Abalos’ administration, underscoring continuity between past and present city leadership.

The building houses a 24/7 Command Center equipped with roughly 300 operational CCTV cameras citywide, with another 300 units set for installation to monitor key entry and exit points across Mandaluyong City. Officials say the expanded surveillance network is meant to speed up incident detection and improve coordination during disasters and public safety events.

Located on the fourth floor, the Emergency Operations Center serves as the brain of the system, tracking real-time data on traffic flow, emergencies, and security threats. Information gathered is immediately relayed to decision-makers to enable faster action during fires, floods, and other crises.

Mayor Abalos said the facility is also designed as a shared hub that can assist neighboring local governments, reflecting a more collaborative, metro-wide disaster response approach.

The lot hosting the new structure was donated by the National Center for Mental Health, while the building itself carries an estimated project cost of ₱200 million. CDRRMO head Roald Arcangel noted that Mandaluyong operates 18 inter-agency response clusters and maintains links with 17 cities and municipalities across Metro Manila, enabling coordinated operations beyond city borders.

Artificial intelligence features are expected to be rolled out later, pending data privacy safeguards.

During the program, barangay captains were also recognized for leading their respective Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices — a move local observers say highlights the administration’s push for community-level readiness.

For city officials, the new CDRRMO headquarters signals a shift toward a more technology-driven, centralized command system — positioning Mandaluyong to respond faster and more efficiently as disasters grow more frequent and complex.