MANILA – November 11, 2013 – As reliable communication lines have yet to be restored in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda, Google has launched its Person Finder for Typhoon Yolanda.
The Google Person Finder is a web application that gathers data about missing people by allowing individuals to post and search for the status of relatives or friends affected by a disaster.
There is also a mobile version, which allows users to request the status of a person via SMS by sending an SMS to 2662999 (Globe subscribers), 4664999 (SMART subscribers), 22020999 (Sun subscribers), or +16508003977 with the message Search person-name. "For example, if you are searching for Joshua, send the message Search Joshua," the instructions on Google Person Finder read.
As of November 11, communications facilities were restored in many areas hit by Yolanda, such as Capiz, Antique, and Aklan in Western Visayas. However, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said communication remains a problem in Eastern Visayas, GMA News Online reported.
Google noted that all data on the Google Person Finder is available to the public, and can be searched and accessed by anyone. "Google does not review or verify the accuracy of the data. The standard Google Terms of Service apply to all users of Google Person Finder," said Gail Tan, Google Philippines Communications Manager.
Users can also report incorrect information on the Person Finder. The finder depends on its users to update or remove records that are no longer relevant, such as if a reported missing person has already been found.
After the immediate crisis has passed, Google deletes its data to protect individual privacy.
The web application can also be embedded as a gadget on other organizations’ websites. Press agencies and non-governmental agencies can also contribute to the database through the Person Finder API, which is based on the PFIF open standard.
A project of the Google Crisis Response division, the Google Person Finder was launched in response to the January 2010 Haiti earthquake. As it accepts data from other missing person registries, the Google Person Finder was able to address the challenge in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when one had to search for missing persons in multiple places.
Google Philippines and Google.org have also published the Google Crisis Map for Typhoon Yolanda. On the map are locations of evacuation centers, hospitals and health facilities, and command posts, as well as a map overlay of disaster prone areas. The map also tracks the path of the typhoon, with satellite images of the clouds and rainfall.
