Manila, July 10 -- The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) has welcomed the inclusion of Eastern Visayas in the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) Phases 2 & 3, aimed to ensure efficient communication flow during response operations.

Eastern Visayas RDRRMC chair Lord Byron Torrecarion said the NFB project is a "big leap forward" since the region is part of the nautical highway that links Luzon to Mindanao and the "entrance of typhoons."

"In our disaster response, we rank communication as the top priority. We cannot send relief and learn the needs of affected areas without communication. This is one of the key lessons learned after Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Typhoon Haiyan)," he said in an interview...