Truesome for Boholanos but sure enough, the people learned a lesson too many. Both the 7.2 magnitude earthquake and killer-super typhoon Yolanda may have left devastation in its wake but surprisingly, the people of Bohol have not cowered from the experiences but rather, now stand firm to protect what is theirs whatever the cost, even exploring into the more hi-tech world of technology. Earlier this week, Gov. Edgar M. Chatto met with proponents of the so-called TV White Space (TVWS), a technology now being used by a project aptly named Ecosystems Improved for Sustainable Fisheries (ECOFISH), to bring to light what treading into the world of more advanced science has in store to make people more equipped when facing disasters.

ECOFISH proponents, Anecita Gulayan, Site Coordinator for Danajon Reef; and Lawrence Ang, a Public-Private Partnership Specialist, together with Regina Macalandag, met with the governor to expain to him how TVWS works. This goes about by utilizing unused TV broadcast channels and establish connectivity with them with ranges of over 10,000 times further out than normal Wi-Fi, it having a radius of 10 kilometers which could be more than useful especially when unexpected disasters strike. This technology, which is now being piloted in five select municipalities in Bohol namely Talibon, Ubay, Bien Unido, Trinidad and the island municipality of Carlos P. Garcia, is being tested to help in fisherfolk registration for the ECOFISH Project. This same technology could also be used to establish connectivity among municipalities in the whole province with the Provincial Government, and with everyone at that, which, Ang said, could be of great help not only during these times of advanced technology but more so, in times of calamities when telecommunication systems tend to bog down.

The national government has already made universal access to broadband a national policy and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is currently rolling out public and commercial technology trials/pilots to assess the potential and viability of TV White Space. ECOFISH currently assists the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) in rolling out the National Program for Municipal Fisherfolk Registration called FishR to meet requirements under the Fisheries Code, Ang informed Gov. Chatto. The governor is exultant on these new developments and is open to the idea of giving them a shot for these could also be used to accelerate tourism promotions for the province, expedite information dissemination and help curb illegalities in Bohol. (Janet Villarojo)