YEARENDER: DOST hit by internal tempest, lone casualty is chief weatherman

MANILA, Philippines – While the country was battered by several strong typhoons this year, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was likewise hit by an internal tempest that left its chief weatherman the lone casualty.

Metro Manila and surrounding provinces were caught unprepared by typhoon “Basyang” on July 13, with the country’s weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) failing to provide an updated forecast on the direction and strength of the typhoon.

PAGASA was then headed by Pisco Nilo, appointed to the position in 1997 by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In dismissing Nilo as administrator of the weather bureau on Aug. 5, President Aquino cited his lack of career executive service officer (CESO) rank.

In interviews with the media, however, Aquino said he dismissed Nilo because of his failure to provide an accurate forecast for the typhoon and his supposed “differences” with his immediate superior in the DOST.

Science Secretary Mario Montejo said Nilo’s proposal for a P1.1-billion broadband project to modernize the forecasting capacity of PAGASA was one of the reasons for his dismissal.

Nilo denied Montejo’s allegations.

“We have different ways of doing things. We can have a more accurate forecast with less than P100 million,” Montejo said.

Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul was then appointed officer-in-charge of PAGASA.

The 54-year-old Nilo availed of early retirement from government service in October. He served the agency for 24 years, having joined PAGASA in 1984 as a meteorologist.

Typhoon ‘Juan’

Learning from its experience with Basyang, PAGASA started issuing hourly typhoon updates when “Juan” hit Northern Philippines last October.   The agency also created an account on microblogging website Twitter for immediate dissemination of information.

“This time we did it differently and we are proud that we got it right. After one or two days, CNN was already using the PAGASA track,” Montejo said in an interview.

Aside from providing hourly typhoon updates, PAGASA installed early warning devices along the Marikina-Pasig River system to prevent a repeat of the massive destruction caused by floods from tropical storm “Ondoy” last year.

DOST projects

The DOST has rolled out several projects for implementation this year, including those that address the lack of access to potable water and malnutrition.

The department has started designing a low-cost monorail system to reduce land traffic and overcrowding in mass transportation systems.

Montejo said the first prototype for the monorail will go around the University of the Philippines in Diliman in June.

He said the monorail is very similar to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) but costs 20 percent less.

To improve the quality of education, the agency has completed the prototype for a personal computer tablet, like the iPad, to serve as additional learning tool for school children.

Montejo said they plan to provide PC tablets to 100 schools next year. Each unit costs only P3,000.

DOST scientists have also developed a mosquito trap to help the government curb the spread of dengue.

To address the problem of malnutrition and undernourishment, the DOST has developed “SuperRice,” an iron-fortified rice product.

It is also developing a low-cost water purifier made of clay to address the lack of potable water in slum areas that would cost only between P100 to P200.

“We can expect concrete details of these projects next year,” Montejo said.

He said these projects would be implemented in the next five years.

Montejo, a mechanical engineer by profession, is promoting the use of technologies developed in the country.

He is the man behind AutoPark, the automated parking system located across the Silver City mall in Pasig City. –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)