ON HIS first disaster management briefing last Wednesday, it was reported that P-Noy “berated” PAGASA (the country’s weather bureau) for “its failure to notify the public that Typhoon Basyang would directly hit Metro Manila.”
“We rely on you to tell us where the problem is or where the potential problem areas are … this is unacceptable. I hope this is the last time that we are all brought to areas different from where we should be,” P-Noy said, followed by a directive for PAGASA to list down the equipment necessary so the government can release funds for their acquisition.
According to P-Noy, the bureau “should be able to report significant weather changes at the earliest possible time and that the forecast should be closer to reality” because a wrong forecast “wastes time, money and slows down the government’s response time.” P-Noy requested an accurate forecast with a lead time of at least 36 to 48 hours.
Prisco Nilo, PAGASA’s bureau chief said that the bureau’s telecommunication system needs to be automated so that they can avoid disruptions despite bad weather conditions — to the tune of P1.8 Billion. But according to Sen. Loren Legarda, PAGASA needs a six-year modernization program “to make it responsive to the changing global climate,” which will possibly amount to P5 Billion.
Apart from the equipment, Naga City-based amateur meteorologist Mike Padua asserted that training is required along with the acquisition of new equipment as well as “training in the new methods of meteorology and storm tracking.”
This is not the first time for PAGASA to commit an error of this scale. On September of last year, the weather bureau also failed to inform Metro Manila residents of the impending havoc that Ondoy was about to bring to the metropolis – submerging areas of Metro Manila in a matter of 12 hours.
With 20 typhoons on average hitting the Philippines every year and the disastrous aftermath brought about by Ondoy still fresh in the minds of a traumatized country, an accurate and up-to-the-minute weather forecast and report is not just mere “talk about the weather” — it is a matter of grave concern and of national importance.
Because of the government’s very limited resources, concerns of this nature should be top priority, so that agencies like the National Disaster Coordinating Council and the Department of Social Welfare and Development can strategize a course of action in a timely manner and be able to respond immediately to emergencies brought about by such catastrophes. (AJPress)
( www.asianjournal.com )
( Published July 17, 2010 in Asian Jounal Los Angeles p. A12 )
