Weather forecasters to get training on disaster mitigation

Weather forecasters from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) will attend a training course on disaster mitigation in South Korea in June.

Sungho Choi, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) resident representative to the Philippines, said they are giving 15 slots in the seminar workshop for Pagasa personnel.

The training is part of KOICA’s assistance to the Philippines, he added.

Sungho said they will also invite other agencies like the National Irrigation Authority to send representatives to the workshop.

"Disaster mitigation is a high priority in the Philippines as well as in Korea," he said.

KOICA is willing to support any good project proposal from Pagasa, he added.

Meanwhile, the government will unveil in May a South Korean-funded early warning system for natural disasters to help in the protection of agriculture and water resources.

Sungho said the $1-million project involves training and providing new equipment for Pagasa field personnel.

It was the first KOICA project of such kind in the Philippines, he added.

The new monitoring equipment will form a network of early warning systems for agriculture and water resources, to initially cover the provinces of Aurora, Iloilo and Lanao del Norte.

Pagasa said the areas were chosen because they were considered the most vulnerable to extreme weather and climate phenomena like drought, typhoons, and floods.

The early warning system will provide local government units with relevant information and advisories on extreme weather changes to help them plan and mitigate the impact of disastrous weather phenomena.

The Philippines is no stranger to typhoons and monsoon rains, which usually cause heavy damage to crops and livelihood in the rural areas. – Helen Flores