BY: RIZALIE A. CALIBO
SIQUIJOR, April 8 (PIA)—The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of Siquijor province conducted recently site visits to Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs) and Water Level Monitoring System (WLMS) installed in different areas of the province in preparation for the Low Pressure Area (LPA) likely to hit the province .
This is part of the DOST’s effort in response to President Aquino's instructions to put in place a responsive program for disaster prevention and mitigation, says Provincial Director Mario E. de la Pena in an interview earlier.
Currently, the province has six ARGs installed in designated areas in every municipality and one WLMS located at the bridge above the Seniora River in Lazi.
According to Engr. Roland Padayhag, team leader of DOST Siquijor’s inspection team, it was their first preventive maintenance visit since these equipments were installed.
“We have to pull out overgrown weeds within the fenced area of some ARGs and removed cover crops in other spots”, also says Macbeth Dal, one of the DOST personnel who conducted the activity.
Fortunately these weather monitoring equipments are still in good condition, also says Engr. Padayhag.
Meanwhile, Engr. de la Pena stressed the importance of securing and maintaining the areas. He said that if these plants are not removed, might hinder the ARGs in providing accurate data.
Such simple activity, he said, is crucial especially during extreme weather conditions.
In order to assess the situation, these monitoring systems have to be in good shape to deliver precise information as PDRRMC, MDRRMCs, BDRRMCs and local residents rely on them in their disaster plans and actions against LPAs, monsoons and typhoons, he added.
To note, these equipments are deployed as part of the Development of Hybrid Weather Monitoring System and Production of Weather and Rain Automated Stations Project.
Through the aide of these devices, amount of rainfall in every municipality can now be checked by any Siquijodnon anywhere, anytime by logging on to noah.dost.gov.ph through cell phone, tablet, laptop or personal computer.
The government, through the DOST has launched the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) to make sure that the country will be prepared against the worst of the natural calamities such as strong typhoons, considering that the Philippines is included in the list of most vulnerable areas to climate change owing to its archipelagic nature, by improving its people’s natural resiliency through Science and Technology.
In partnership with the academe and other stakeholders, the program is taking a multi-disciplinary approach in developing systems, tools, and other technologies that could be operationalized by government disaster risk reduction.
Its immediate task is to integrate current disaster science research and development projects and initiate new efforts within the DOST to achieve this objective.
Several components of the project are: Hydromet Sensors Development; DREAM-LIDAR 3-D Mapping Project; Flood NET-Flood Modeling Project; Hazards Information MediaStrategic Communication Intervention; Disaster Management using WebGIS; Enhancing Geo-hazards Mapping through LIDAR ; Doppler System Development; Landslide Sensors Development Project; Storm Surge Inundation Mapping Project; and Weather Information - Integration for System Enhancement (WISE). (mbcn/RAC/PIA-Siquijor w/ reports from RJYA, MEP/DOST-Siquijor)