House to tackle Pagasa's equipment woes in budget hearing

MANILA, Philippines - The alleged inefficiency and lack of equipment of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) would be tackled by the House of Representatives during the budget hearings for the agency, lawmakers said yesterday.

The House members asked Pagasa officials to prepare an inventory of their existing weather forecast equipment and a rundown of their modernization needs in preparation for the 2011 budget hearings, which are expected to tackle the weather bureau’s inaccurate weather forecasts.

Davao City Rep. Mylene Albano said the inventory will help guide lawmakers on the additional needs of Pagasa to fully modernize its weather forecasting system and improve its services to the people to ensure their safety and protection during expected calamities.

“No less than President Aquino has expressed disappointment and exasperation over the latest weather forecast error of Pagasa on typhoon Basyang’s direction,” Albano said. “We support his move asking Pagasa officials to list down the equipment that they need and that the government could provide.”

“The budget hearings will be an opportunity for Pagasa officials to present their urgent needs and for lawmakers to decide on these items’ appropriation,” she said.

Aside from modern equipment, instruments, field stations and regional centers, Albano said Pagasa officials have also raised the need for more personnel and more training on the use of new equipment.

“As cited by Pagasa chief Dr. Prisco Nilo, automating data transmission alone would require some P1.8 billion,” she said.

Zamboanga City Rep. Ma. Isabelle Climaco said she will prod their Sangguniang Bayan or city legislature to pass a resolution asking Pagasa officials in Region 9 to prepare an inventory of their existing weather forecasting apparatus and equipment and their modernization requirements and recommendation to Pagasa National Office for inclusion in the 2011 budget.

“This will upgrade their facilities to be capable of predicting weather conditions to guide the public. Pagasa officials should prepare now for the budgetary hearings so their needs can be considered in the 2011 national budget,” Climaco said.

She also urged Pagasa officials to explore if there are other foreign assistance or grants available that can be tapped for the modernization of their weather forecasting equipment and instruments.

“We should check what cooperation agreements allow foreign assistance to such modernization thrust or program,” Climaco said, citing Japan and Taiwan which have been supportive of the weather bureau’s modernization program.

In 2008, Climaco said Taiwan’s National Science Council (NSC) donated $170,000 for the completion of the repair and upgrading of the high-altitude weather observation station of Pagasa in Tanay, Rizal.

The grant was one of the key items in the 2007 work program under the Philippines’ science and technology cooperation agreement with Taiwan, she said.

She noted that Nilo recently cited a $30-million grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) that will fund the construction of three Doppler radar stations in Virac in Catanduanes, Aparri in Cagayan and Guiuan in Samar, covering the western and northern parts of the Philippines.

The Department of Science and Technology-Pagasa Doppler Radar Project aims to put up 12 radars nationwide that will cover the western part of the country which is highly susceptible to severe monsoon rains.