Pagasa gets support from private sector

Pagasa has acquired two brand-new Doppler radars to be installed in Subic and Taytay, Rizal.

By Aileen Carreon (The Philippine Star)

“To provide protection against natural calamities and utilize scientific knowledge as an effective instrument to insure the safety, well-being and economic security of all the people, and for promotion of national progress.”

This mandate reflects the important role of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

“Pagasa is a key agency in terms of disaster preparedness, as illustrated during typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng,” says Butch Meily, executive director of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF).

The PDRF is working in partnership with Pagasa to strengthen the country’s capacity for disaster risk reduction and management via an effective early warning system.

Co-location of rain gauges in cell sites

Set to roll out this April is a groundbreaking project on installing Pagasa rain gauges in strategically located cell sites of cellular companies nationwide.

“MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) met with us to ask about Pagasa’s needs, as well as limitations and deficiencies in terms of equipment. He wanted to know what things we could immediately undertake. Co-locating the rain gauges in the cell sites was one of them,” says Dr. Prisco Nilo, Pagasa director.

Pangilinan also heads the PDRF, the private sector arm of the Special National Public Reconstruction Commission created in the wake of the devastation brought about by Ondoy, Pepeng and Frank.

Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom and Sun Cellular have all agreed to participate in the co-location project that is part of the PDRF program to help upgrade the country’s weather and flood forecasting system.

“The PDRF adopts an industry-wide approach in its undertakings. Hence, it was important for us to include everybody,” says Meily.

Upon the instruction of Pangilinan, Smart public affairs head Ramon Isberto arranged a meeting between Nilo and the three telcos.

“I have to give credit to everybody involved - Ernest Cu of Globe Telecom, Bill Pamintuan of Sun Cellular, and Mon Isberto of Smart. They all came together and agreed that this is a worthwhile project for the country. It’s a positive thing for the Philippines. If competitors can get together then we can do things. The only way we can achieve difficult projects is if we all work together,” says Meily.

The installation of rain gauges in cell sites is expected to help Pagasa issue timely and more accurate flood forecasts and warnings.

“One of the problems of Pagasa in improving our observing network is to choose a site where our equipment will be safe. Another is communication. By co-locating in a telco site, we are assured of security and an effective system to transmit the data from the site to the broadcasting center,” says Nilo.

“And because of the many cell sites all over the country, it would not be difficult for us to find ideal site locations for our rain gauges,” he adds. These are in places in the country where Pagasa doesn’t have any rainfall data in flood-prone areas, and those pinpointed as sources of heavy rains or floodwaters.

Dr. Susan Espinueva, chief of Pagasa’s Hydro Metrological Division, notes that while it is necessary, it is also difficult to find and maintain a site in the mountain area. “This is where floodwaters come from. If we can monitor the amount of rainfall in higher places, we will have more lead time for warning residents in the low areas.”

“For the initial salvo, we have three rain gauges ready for installation within Metro Manila,” says Nilo. These are Tipping Bucket rain gauges that can automatically send rainfall data to Pagasa by telemetry at a desired frequency and the required parameters.

Pagasa got the rain gauges from a project funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Last March, Pagasa met with Smart engineers and firmed up 15 possible sites. Separate surveys of Globe and Sun cell sites are scheduled this April. The target is to have the rain gauges installed before the onset of the rainy season.

“This is a dream we have been pursuing,” says Espinueva. She reveals that they had interference problem in their communication link when their frequency backbone of 800 to 900 megahertz was allotted to the cellular mobile telecom system band. An upgrade was needed but it was too expensive. Now that they are co-locating rain gauges in cell sites, they can ride on the expansive coverage of CMTS.

Doppler radars

The assistance being extended by the PDRF in upgrading the country’s flood forecasting system complements Pagasa’s monitoring system which is getting a boost with the addition of Doppler radars.

A Doppler radar provides real-time information on rainfall intensity, location of a typhoon and its wind strength. It can gauge the volume of water that may pour into specific localities for issuance of flood bulletins identifying flood-prone areas.

Pagasa has acquired two brand-new Doppler radars to be installed in Subic and Taytay, Rizal. The agency is given assurance of a total of 10 Doppler radars. Two of its five existing radars have been upgraded into Doppler.

Referred to by Pangilinan as “the eye of the Philippines when it comes to early warning for natural disasters,” Pagasa is certainly poised to better watch over the country in the coming days.

“We thank the PDRF for recognizing the importance of Pagasa’s services and for taking the initiative to extend a helping hand,” says Espinueva.

Pagasa: What went wrong?

By Alcuin Papa - Inquirer

Was PAGASA wrong in predicting the path of Typhoon “Mina”? The weather bureau does not think so.

In a conference of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Saturday afternoon with President Macapagal-Arroyo in attendance, Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said that as early as Thursday, the weather bureau told the media that there were two scenarios on Mina’s path.

Yumul, a former officer in charge of Pagasa, said the first was that Mina would slam into Bicol and exit through Oriental Mindoro. The other was that it would hit Aurora and Isabela provinces, cut through northern Luzon and exit through Ilocos Sur.

“Is CNN right and was Pagasa wrong? No,” said Yumul, referring to the Cable News Network that predicted Mina would hit Aurora and Isabela instead of the Bicol region.

Yumul also said Pagasa had studied various models from other weather centers in Japan, Hong Kong and the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) run by the US Navy based in Hawaii.

The latter had predicted Mina’s present course.

“Other climate models use mathematical models. But Pagasa uses not only numerical but also real-time field station data,” he said.

Yumul said there was no use comparing the JTWC with Pagasa.

He also said Bicol would still experience heavy rains.

Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro earlier told reporters that other models had been studied for Mina.

“There are a lot of models, and Pagasa has its own model, and we compare. These models have different conclusions, but we have to buttress [a conclusion] with ground data,” she said.

Yumul said Pagasa forecasts were “official” and accountable. Other models did not have any accountability, he said.

According to regulations of the World Meteorological Organization, predictions of the official agency of the host country apply in so far as the host country is concerned, Yumul said.

“Pagasa looks at other models from other climate centers. Any layman looking at these models will not come up with an intelligent decision. But Pagasa has to make a stand. Our stand—that the storm would track a western direction—was based on available information of Pagasa,” he said.

Loren urges P6-B Pagasa rehab

SENATOR Loren Legarda yesterday batted for the modernization of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration to better protect Filipinos and the environment from the fury of natural calamities like typhoons.

Loren has filed Senate Bill No. 1397 to enhance the capabilities of Pagasa in predicting the occurrence and strength of weather disturbances, the Philippines being located within the Pacific Rim of Fire noted for its active volcanoes and extreme weather systems.

“Pagasa should be modernized so it can live up to its name -- as a harbinger of hope during calamitous times,” the senator said.

“I am,therefore, calling on the 14th Congress to pass this bill that would allow Pagasa to make better weather forecasts to help us minimize loss of lives and damages to properties due to natural calamities.

She added that while her bill concentrates on Pagasa, there is also a great need to modernize the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to improve its monitoring of the country’s active volcanoes and seismic activities.

“The Philippines is prone to natural disasters. It lies along what is known as the Ring of Fire with a number of active volcanoes. It is also within the path of storms emanating from the Pacific Ocean. These conditions increase the vulnerability of many areas and people in various parts of the nation,” she said.

Loren explained that significant advances in the technologies used in monitoring meteorological and geological developments have great potential in providing vital information for disaster management.

“This bill addresses the need to upgrade the capacity of Pagasa to perform its mandate thereby providing the necessary informational requirement and warning systems to minimize the vulnerability of people, environment and economy to natural disasters,” she said in her bill’s explanatory note.

The bill allots P5 billion to fund the six-year modernization program.

Part of the fund is to come from net income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

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