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Govt to spend P425M for new weather center, radars


The government is setting aside P425 million to build a new weather center and more radars to head off the effects of potential disasters. President Benigno Aquino III has directed the Department of Budget and Management to allocate the amount to upgrade weather and flood forecasting facilities. "Of this amount, P150 million will be used to enhance the Doppler radar network of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), while P275 million will be used to construct a state-of-the-art National Meteorological and Climate Center (NMCC)," the DBM said in a news release issued Monday. It said these are part of the P72.11-billion disbursement acceleration plan of the Aquino administration. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said this means "better, real-time monitoring of typhoons, flooding and disasters" that will benefit sectors across the board, including aviation, maritime and shipping, agriculture and trade sectors. PAGASA will acquire and install three Doppler radars in Antique, Palawan, and the Zamboanga Peninsula along the western side of the Philippines, completing the Doppler radar network’s coverage of the country. On the other hand, the NMCC of the Department of Science and Technology will be equipped with research laboratories, weather and climate prediction centers, and other information and communication technologies that will improve the forecasting of typhoon movement, intensity, and rainfall. It will also have a training center, auditorium, and museum, to serve as a learning institution for information-sharing, capacity-building activities, consultancy, and other technical assistance. Abad said these "investments" are in line with the National four-point action plan for disaster preparedness, which include:

  • upgrading the forecasting capability of PAGASA and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology;
  • public information and education campaigns;
  • capacity-building of local chief executives and disaster coordinating councils; and
  • strengthening partnerships through the Collaborative Partnership Program. — RSJ, GMA News
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