“LOOK! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…”
Nope. It’s not Superman. It may not even be a bird or a plane. In all likelihood you might actually be seeing a drone hovering in the air or speeding against the blue sky.
Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), have surged in popularity in the past few years. There was a time when I only watched them in spy or war movies where the US military would deploy drones for reconnaissance or to hit high-value terrorist targets.
Then lately drones have become available to the general public. So you would see them at weddings taking photos or videos. Travelers and tourists are now employing them to take spectacular photos of beautiful destinations. Even professional photographers and videographers have employed drones to capture images that are impossible to catch with the naked eye – like a photo of the back of an eagle while flying!
Such is the advancement in technology that we now employ these lightweight, easy-to-use, inexpensive, and advanced UAVs in practically all aspects of our lives. The most modern military in the world employ them for combat missions, therefore reducing the use of actual soldiers on the ground.
Governments have been employing drones for non-military uses as well. After an earthquake struck Yunan, China, in 2014, its government used drones to search for survivors and assess damage. This helped search and rescue teams to quickly get a bird’s eye view of the disaster and send help in a timely fashion. Can you imagine if we used that technology when super-typhoon Yolanda hit?
The Philippine government has started to use drones in governance. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started using them since last year to address the problem of ghost projects in infrastructure and improve the monitoring of accomplishments of regional projects.
Embracing advancements in technology, DPWH has started using drones, satellite technology, and geotagging to increase efficiency and accountability in the department. This innovation, introduced by Secretary Mark Villar, has given rise to the Project and Contract Management Procedures and Application (PCMPA) allowing them to detect any ghost project in real time by allowing for geographic identification of photos, videos, and other posts, and offering a more accurate measurement of any given project’s accomplishments. This technological innovation has allowed the DPWH to lessen discretion and introduce a strong deterrent against anomalies and corrupt practices.
I hope our government would invest more in using advanced technology such as the use of drones in governance. Drones can solve the perennial excuse of government agencies when criticized for not doing their job: “we do not have enough manpower.” Instead of humans, drones can conduct a more thorough and efficient inspections on buildings, bridges, rail lines, power lines, traffic, roads, and more. This will drive down costs because instead of government officials using helicopters or planes to do aerial inspections, they can just use drones.
In agriculture, drones can help in mapping and monitoring crops, analyzing irrigation, growth patterns, and yields. More importantly, it can be utilized in inspecting crops for potential disease and threats that have deprived many of our Filipino farmers of prosperous harvests in the past. Related to this, drones have been used to spray pesticides or nutrients in a more timely, safer, and cost-efficient manner.
Even in law enforcement, drones can help the police force in keeping the community safe. Drones can be used to prevent crimes and help police pursue criminals on the run. It can use infrared technology to monitor the streets during night time and allow for better police response time to crime.
The uses of drone technology are unlimited. So I hope government will recognize the potential benefits of using drones in government services. In solving many of our problems, we really don’t need a superman to save us.
