RP gets $1M disaster warning systems from S. Korea

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has signed an agreement with the South Korean government to develop warning systems for three disaster-prone areas in the Philippines. Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr said the South Korean government will provide a grant of $1 million over 2007-2008 for the project. Pagasa is an attached agency of the DOST. The Koreans will provide weather monitoring facilities in three sites: in Luzon, at the Aurora River Basin in Aurora province; in the Visayas, at the Jaluar River Basin in Iloilo; and in Mindanao, at the Lake Lanao-Agus River Basin in the Lanao provinces. Yumul said the project sites were chosen because of their vulnerability to extreme climate events. He added that the project components include the provision of facilities such as automatic weather stations (AWS), automatic rain gauges, digital water level gauges and maintenance vehicles along with the training of Filipino counterparts in South Korea and the sending of experts who will oversee the project. The DOST official signed the accord with Lee Eun Sook of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica). -GMANews.TV