NAGA CITY, Philippines — During disasters, information can be just as important as rescue equipment, emergency vehicles, and manpower. Yet in many emergencies, critical reports are often scattered across social media posts, private group chats, text messages, phone calls, and word of mouth, making it difficult for responders and local government units to quickly understand what is happening on the ground.

That is the challenge Bagyo.app hopes to solve.

Launched in Naga City last June 18; the platform serves as a real-time disaster intelligence system designed to aggregate weather information, citizen-generated reports, and AI-verified alerts into a single operational picture. During its early access launch, more than 80 incumbent and incoming youth government leaders participated in demonstrations showcasing how the platform can be used to improve disaster preparedness and emergency response.

"The biggest change Bagyo.app brings to Naga is speed," said Jared Dillinger, CEO of New Prontera Technologies Corp.

According to Dillinger, one of the biggest challenges during emergencies is not necessarily the availability of responders, volunteers, or resources, but the speed at which information reaches decision-makers. When reports move through multiple channels before reaching the appropriate authorities, critical response windows can be lost.

To address this, Bagyo.app allows citizens to submit incident reports directly from the ground. Those reports are then organized, mapped, and surfaced through a shared operational view that can be accessed by responders, local leaders, and partner organizations.

"Instead of waiting for information to move through multiple layers, citizens can report incidents directly from the ground," Dillinger explained.

How Bagyo.app runs: recent developments

The platform is powered by the Autonomous Emergency Reporting Intel System (Agent A.E.R.I.S.), a disaster intelligence framework that combines citizen-sourced reporting, weather information, and AI-assisted verification tools.

During their launch event last June 18, attendees participated in interactive demonstrations designed to showcase how reports can be collected and processed during emergency situations. The event also highlighted the platform's use of on-chain reportin  systems and privacy-focused technologies designed to support verifiable public records while protecting user information.

The initiative extends beyond software deployment. During the event, New Prontera Technologies Corp. and the SK Federation of Naga City formalized a Memorandum of Understanding that brings together youth leaders from all 27 barangays.

Under the agreement, youth leaders will serve as community correspondents tasked with submitting timely reports during emergencies and encouraging platform adoption within their respective communities. Training, platform access, and support are being provided free of charge to participating youth leaders.

"What excites us most about Naga is that this is not just a technology pilot," Dillinger said. "Through our partnership with the SK Federation and local stakeholders, we are building a network of trained community reporters and youth leaders who can help strengthen the quality and speed of information coming from the ground."

In an exclusive interview with BitDigest, Jared says his vision is to reduce the information delay between a disaster happening and help arriving.

“If Bagyo.app can help shorten that gap, even by a small amount, then we believe it can have a meaningful impact on disaster response, resilience, and ultimately the safety of the people of Naga City,” Dilinger adds.

Bagyo.app launch and looking ahead

The launch reflects a broader effort to combine emerging technologies with grassroots participation in disaster resilience. Rather than relying solely on centralized reporting channels, the project seeks to create a distributed network of community contributors capable of providing localized information during rapidly evolving emergencies.

Furthermore, the Bagyo.app’s team is working with the Office of the Mayor, the ANINAG Council, and the MyNaga App ecosystem to explore deeper integration into Naga City's digital governance and disaster preparedness initiatives. The collaboration will focus on data privacy, governance standards, legal compliance, and long-term disaster resilience planning.

Whether Bagyo.app ultimately succeeds will depend on adoption at the community level. For now, the platform's launch signals a growing trend among Philippine cities exploring how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, real-time data systems, and decentralized reporting networks can strengthen disaster preparedness.

In a country that experiences some of the world's most frequent typhoons and natural disasters, the ability to reduce the delay between an emergency occurring and responders receiving actionable information could become one of the most important measures of disaster resilience in the years ahead.

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