Three million people were affected, roads were underwater, and a digital command center was put to the test.
In this episode, Dana Yaari speaks with Miguel Garcia, Operations Center Supervisor at the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), about the 2023 Typhoon Falcon response. As floodwaters rose, Miguel’s team faced a surge of requests, scattered communications, and overlapping aid efforts while running operations with just a handful of responders.
Miguel walks through the critical decisions made in real time, what broke under pressure, and how adopting simple digital tools changed the outcome. From streamlining resource requests to tracking duplication, he explains how going digital helped cut response time and organize chaos on the ground.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Miguel Garcia
(01:10) Typhoon Falcon, monsoon rains & flooding
(03:27) Untracked requests slow disaster response
(04:40) Running an EOC with five people
(06:29) Inside PDRF’s command center
(08:20) How requests are matched to aid
(10:42) Tracking duplication in real time
(11:45) Going digital with incident plans
(13:59) Saving 40% of response time
(14:56) Smarter decisions through dashboards & data
(17:04) Why tech solutions still aren’t the norm
(23:49) Act now before crisis strikes
Resources:
