Pagasa updates on Twitter

MANILA, Philippines - The weather may be unpredictable, but the public can now keep track of it through Twitter, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Pagasa announced the launched of its Twitter account under the user name @dost_pagasa last Friday to enable citizens to get hourly weather updates.

Pagasa also maintains a website, www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph.

“We would be able to inform the public on the arrival of the storm, the public storm warning signals and an every hour report. We are starting with typhoon ‘Juan’,” said Pagasa officer-in-charge Graciano Yumul.

“We only created our Twitter account past 12 noon last Friday (Oct. 15) and now we already have 5,000 followers. We are being followed by people from all walks of life, such as students and the media,” Yumul said.

Yumul said the creation of the Twitter account is part of the “national government and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) program to address all the concerns of our kababayans. It has proven to be an effective medium.”

He believed that tapping social networking sites is so far the most effective means of disseminating information, as there are over 14,000 Filipinos who have Twitter accounts.

He said they are deluged with requests that they also open Facebook and Friendster accounts.

Pagasa had often been criticized for coming out late with detailed information on coming typhoons.