Press Release
May 24, 2011

TYPHOON 'CHEDENG' TO TEST GOVT DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that typhoon 'Chedeng', which is set to make landfall tomorrow, will test the governments disaster preparedness level.

Angara noted that after the devastation caused by typhoons 'Ondoy' and 'Pepeng', the government scrambled to make sure and create a more disaster resilient system and to upgrade the capabilities of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Science and Technology Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Graciano Yumul Jr., the Supervising Undersecretary of PAGASA issued a statement stating that, "the whole country has to prepare," for the storm which is expected bring 150-300 mm of rains per day or about 20 to 55 mm per hour.

"If we compare this to tropical storm Ondoy that devastated the country in September, 2009, the amount of rainfall is nearly the same because PAGASA was able to record 56 mm of rain per hour during Ondoy," he added.

Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) said that the commission has been working with government and private sector entities to develop the Philippine Disaster Science and Management Center (DSMC).

Angara said that the DSMC is envisioned to become a regional hub for disaster science where our scientists can help prepare officials and LGU's to handle natural calamities such as the numerous typhoons which hit the country every year.

"We need the DSMC to help us prepare for the typhoons and similar disasters that will continue to threaten the country. The government needs to be able to understand how to develop an advanced and real-time information dissemination strategy so people can better prepare to handle such events," noted Angara.

The center is set to become a training center that will focus on scenario-type learning utilizing technology for disaster mitigation and management. Taiwan and Japan are already actively cooperating with training of local experts.

The DSMC is a public-private initiative that the scientific community can use to better understand the mechanics of managing disasters with the cooperation of neighboring countries that have experienced similar storms and natural calamities as the Philippines.

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