BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, April1 (PIA) – Science and
Technology Secretary Mario Montejo said using science-based applications is
very crucial to better deal with the brunt of disasters as the enormous impact
of super Typhoon Yolanda was unprecedented worldwide considering its toll on
lives and properties.
“A lot more needs to be done in helping
our communities prepare for stronger typhoons and future disasters,” said
Montejo whose speech was read by Assistant Secretary Raymund Liboro of the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) during the opening day of the
two-day information and education campaign roadshow on “Iba Na Ang Panahon:
Science for Better Communities” that kicked off March 31 in Cebu City.
In his speech, Montejo said recent
events and global reports have shown that severe weather is becoming more
frequent, more intense and a lot stronger.
“We, at the Department of Science and
Technology, believe that we can use science to better understand and improve
our disaster planning and preparations at the national and local community
levels,” read Liboro.
“Applying science, we can draw up
scenario-based strategies and protocols in dealing with calamities from
emphasizing early warning and early action to achieve minimum loss that can
lead to quick recovery,” contained Montejo’s speech.
Lessons learned during Yolanda’s
onslaught led to the establishment of a four-point agenda to support DOST’s
call for early warning and early action.
These identified four-point agenda are
–a) increase local risk knowledge; b) enable communities to monitor
hazards; c) test warning and communications protocol and d) build
community response capability.
According to Montejo, the four-point
agenda to guide early warning and early action would be the core of the DOST
program.
The use of science-based applications
in dealing with natural calamities highlighted the availability of new tools
such as the latest high-resolution maps, floods modeling solutions and advanced
weather forecasting tools.
These tools would allow DOST
scientists to study hazards and bring better forecasting warnings down to the
communities, said Montejo.
Part of the roadshow event is the disaster
imagination workshops by the over 350 participants composed of mayors, local
officials and disaster managers of local government units (LGUs) in Central
Visayas and representatives of regional line agencies.
Such workshops are designed for LGUs to
visualize the catastrophic impact of hazards based on the vulnerabilities of
the location and population and find better solutions to minimize the
vulnerability to disasters.
According to Montejo, the 150 scientists of
DOST-Project NOAH and the DREAM LIDAR are working non-stop, 24/7 just to
complement the data issued by the national state weather bureau PAGASA.
NOAH and DREAM LIDAR are projects designed to
mitigate disaster risks and operational assessment of hazards using 3D maps and
hydromet sensors among others.
‘Their goal is to help extend the
forecasting of weather and rain probability from hours to several days, to
months and soon allow us to provide better seasonal forecasts, which will be
crucial to complement state, commerce, and agricultural planning in the
Philippines, among other activities,” said Montejo.
Montejo added that at present, over 100
LGUs have received 3D flood hazard maps for them to identify flood-prone areas
and help them alert their constituents ahead of disaster.
DOST field scientists are also working
double time to cover and survey 10,000 hectares in half a day using the Light
Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to produce high-resolution maps of the
whole country, Montejo added.
“These maps can aid in better planning in the community for
disasters, as well as for land use and development projects,” ended Montejo.
(mbcn/FCR/PIA-7)