Typhoon Basyang ripped through the country leaving at least 39 people dead and dozens missing. The first storm to hit the country this rainy season packed maximum gusts of 120 kilometers an hour, catching the northern inhabitants by surprise as it cut across Luzon.
Those casualties and the massive destruction caused by the storm will become an addition to the calamity statistics as the country remains helpless against this frequent visitor. With up to 20 typhoons visiting the country a year, hundreds of lives are lost and billions of pesos worth of property washed away.
Since the country is situated in the so-called typhoon belt in the Pacific, the government should have adequate measures to mitigate the effects of typhoons to lives and property. Unfortunately, it is still adopting an antiquated system in weather forecasting and disaster rescue operations.
Last Wednesday, President Aquino admonished the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration for a wrong forecast on Basyang's direction. Aquino was reportedly informed earlier that the storm was cutting across Northern Luzon but was surprised when it instead pummeled Southern Luzon and Metro Manila before exiting towards China.
As usual, officials of the weather bureau claimed they lack modern equipment, saying they are in dire need of additional budget to improve its forecasting capability.
With a budget of P614 million for this year, PAGASA's financial resources are only good for the salaries of its personnel and maintenance. It had requested for a P1.7 billion budget for this year for the purchase of new equipment, among other things. But the government denied its request.
Added to the burden of the weather bureau is the problem of finding "new blood." A report said majority of its personnel are between the ages of 41 and 50. Only 1.4 percent of its 900 employees are from 21 to 30 years old.
PAGASA should have been modernized a decade ago in order for it to be more reliable since Filipinos are depending on it during weather disturbances.
The weather bureau has the entire archipelago under its watch during typhoons or dry spells. The government should prioritize its modernization otherwise, we will continue counting the casualties brought about by inaccurate weather forecasting.