S&T Media Service, DOST-STII
The Department of Science
and Technology (DOST), thru DOST-MIMAROPA Regional Director Dr. Josefina P. Abilay
and Assistant Secretary Raymund E. Liboro, concurrent director of the DOST’s
Science and Technology Information Institute (STII), inked a Memorandum of
Agreement (MOA) with officials of Oriental Mindoro for the Hydromet Project, a
component of Project NOAH or Nationwide
Operational Assessment of Hazards.
The ceremonial MOA signing
took place last April 16, 2013 in conjunction with the opening ceremony of the 2nd
Regional Contest and Exhibits – MIMAROPA held at the Filipiniana Hotel in Calapan City
Project NOAH is one of
DOST’s centerpiece programs which fuses science and technology to come up with
high-impact disaster management and prevention solutions. The Hydromet Project
dovetails with this aim by using state-of-the-art weather tracking equipment to
provide a better picture of the country’s surface waters. Data from said
equipment will help experts and leaders make informed decision during severe
weather conditions and floods.
The project is being
implemented by DOST with the local government units of Calapan City, Baco, Naujan,
Victoria, and Bansud in Oriental Mindoro – one of the provinces comprising the
MIMAROPA region or Region IV-B.
Under the Hydromet Project,
DOST’s Advanced Science and Technology
Institute, will develop weather tracking equipment such as automated rain
gauges, water level monitoring sensors, and automated weather stations. These
devices will be installed all over the Philippines
In the case of Oriental
Mindoro, said equipment will be installed at the Calapan
River Basin which runs through the
capital city of Calapan and the municipalities
of Baco, Naujan , Victoria
During the National
Consultative Meeting on the Hydromet Project held at the DOST Region 2 office
in Tuguegarao from April 15-16, 2013, Region IV-B has committed to install 16
weather tracking devices in 16 sites all over the region. Of this number, nine are automated rain
gauges while seven are water level monitoring sensors.
As of April 17, 2013, all 17
regions in the country have committed to build a total of 525 devices in 427
identified installation sites.
“Under the project, we are
under strict orders of President Aquino to install a total of 500 weather
tracking equipment by the end of May, or if worse comes to worst, by mid-June, covering
the whole country,” said Project NOAH staff Alan Taule.
Of the total number of devices
indicated in the summary report, more than 400 have already been put in place. “However,
there are still many parts of the Philippines
PHOTO CAPTION: DOST, Oriental Mindoro ink
MOA for Hydromet Project. The ceremonial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing
between the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the local
government units of Calapan City , Baco, Naujan , Victoria and Bansud in Oriental Mindoro for the Hydromet
Project officially starts the development of weather tracking devices to
monitor the Calapan
River Basin
(Photo by Gerry Palad; Caption by Angelica A. de Leon)