The PLDT Group, Huawei Technologies Philippines Inc. and two government agencies come together in a venture with US-based non-profit Rainforest Connection helping secure the country’s forest resources.
With the private partners are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
The partners aim to strengthen local forest conservation efforts and enforce environmental laws.
Under the project, RFCx Guardians, which are bioacoustics monitoring devices, will deploy in the protected forest areas of Taytay, Palawan. The Guardians capture sounds of the forest, including those from chainsaws used for illegal logging and the firing of gunshots, among others.
Powered by solar energy, RFCx Guardians are installed high in canopies of trees and capable of capturing sounds within a 3-kilometer radius. Collected data is transmitted via wireless technology to the cloud for analysis using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technology, allowing for the identification of possible illegal activities.
With the RCFx Guardians, and through a connected platform called Arbimon, forest rangers monitor a wider area more efficiently which would otherwise be near impossible to cover on foot given the size of the forest. With access to analyzed data from the Guardians, the rangers have access to improved threat intelligence, allowing them to zero-in on specific areas and helping facilitate corresponding action to stop illegal activities in protected forests.
RFCx Guardian devices have previously been installed in select forest areas of Palawan that contributed to the rise in apprehension and decrease in cases of illegal activities. Working in tandem with the DENR and the DICT, PLDT, Smart, and Huawei plan expanding deployment of these devices in Palawan and in other protected forest areas of the country.
“PLDT and Smart recognize the vital role of our forests in combating climate change, in keeping our communities safe from disasters, and in enabling us to continue doing business in the long-term. Together with our social outreach arm, the PLDT-Smart Foundation, we are proud to be part of this project that uses communications technology to support and reinforce critical efforts to preserve and protect forests in the country,” Melissa Vergel de Dios, PLDT and Smart chief sustainability officer, said.
“We are fortunate to have found like-minded partners in Huawei, the DICT and the DENR who share our commitment to help protect the planet for the next generation,” she added.
“Aligning with Huawei’s TECH4ALL digital initiative and action plan, this project supports our efforts to innovate solutions, use technology, and work with partners to mitigate impacts of climate change and be stewards of the Planet for the next generation,” Karrie Buenafe, Huawei senior PR manager, said.
