Noynoy wants a more advanced weather forecast system

Dismayed with the "sorely lacking" capability of the state weather agency to forecast the movement of weather disturbances hitting the archipelago, President Noynoy Aquino wants a more responsive weather forecasting system to prevent costly errors like what transpired on Tuesday when typhoon "Basyang" (international name: Conson) was forecast to hit northern and central provinces but devastated Metro Manila instead.

"We will review everything. All things need improvement," Aquino said in an ambush interview with newsmen after an emergency meeting with the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters' in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City where he reprimanded officials of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) for its delayed forecast updates on the movement typhoon.

"Why is it that they say that (the typhoon) would go to this direction, but it would go to another direction. We have to improve on this area. We have to have fool proof (forecasting system). We need to find out what methods need improvement?" he said.

Aquino said he wants a weather forecasting system that could keep up with the rapid movement of storms so the response efforts of the government is not compromised especially in a country visisted by more than 20 typhoons annualy.

"I want to emphasize to them (Pagasa officials) that we must have a system with more precision because a storm can move rapidly. We must know the significant changes at the earliest possible time because what happened was we made preparations in certain areas (but the typhoon) hit another area,"  Aquino said referring to Pagasa's weather disturbance bulletins which are released every six hours.

During the briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Aquino admonished Pagasa's "long time problem."

"You do what you are supposed to do. This is  not acceptable. I hope this is the last time that we are all brought to areas different from where we should be," he said. "We rely on you to tell us where the potential problems are."

"All the agencies have adequately met their responsibilities at this point in time but your information is sorely lacking. We have had this problem for quite a long time," the President added.

Pagasa was also criticized in September 2009 when it failed to warn Metro Manila residents of the voluminous rain poured by tropical storm "Ondoy (international name: Ketsana), which inundated Metro Manila resulting to deaths of hundreds of people.

Also at the briefing, the President directed the Philippine Coast Guard to conduct a feasibility study to form an advance warning system that would inform fisherfolks of an approaching typhoon.

Meanwhile, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman was directed to ensure proper accomodation for those who were evacuated because typhoon Basyang. She asked Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo to help out on the matter.

Soliman reported that residents in Dinggalan, Aurora, who were evacuated earlier, had already returned to their homes.

Others affected by the typhoon, Soliman revealed, were 113 families in Baseco, Manila; 43 families in Delpan, Manila; and 100 senior citizens from a nursing home in Tanay Rizal.

On Tuesday night, during a dinner with the Malacañang Press Corps. (MPC), President Aquino said the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), Pagasa's parent agency, is exerting efforts to upgrade its weather forecasting system that would include adopting an advanced warning system technology from Germany.

Aquino said there have been grants from European countries that would finance the technology upgrade for disaster mitigation.

On the other hand, the President kept mum about the government's depleted calamity funds.

"Let's wait for the Department of Budget and Management's (DBM) pronouncement. All agencies have needs and economic managers have to manage the debt cap. We'll wait for their assessment," he said.

Source: MB