8/9/2019 AGHAM Press Statement: Politicization of PAGASA will
not solve its problems
1/2
AGHAM-Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Agham at
Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan(Advocates of Science and
Technology for the People)
PRESS STATEMENT
August 7, 2010
Politicization of PAGASA will not solve its problems
The removal of Dr. Prisco Nilo as director of the PAGASA due to
differences with his
immediate superior shows that the current government would
rather fire the messsenger than
upgrade the bureau's capacity to prepare for typhoons and
disasters.
If government continues to blame the scientists instead of
providing funds to upgrade their
measurements, the brain drain that has gone on for so long will
be difficult to reverse.
Patriotic scientists who have opted to stay on despite low
wages, general lack of research anddevelopment funds and local
opportunities will be driven off instead of being useful to
national
development.
Nilo becomes President Benigno Aquino 3rd's scapegoat for the
National Disaster Coordinating
Council (NDCC) and his government's being unable to respond
correctly to the recent typhoon.
Dr. Nilo's removal was some three weeks after Aquino publicly
scolded the weather bureau for
failing to predict that typhoon Basyang would pass over Metro
Manila. Saying that Nilo "never
really bothered to explain" why Typhoon Basyang moved in a
different direction shows how thepresident and the NDCC understands
typhoon preparedness.
There are two sides to this coin. The first requires us to
understand the nature of typhoons.Typhoons are really large masses
of air that are spinning and moving over land and sea. Much like
a
spinning top will be affected by the surface it is moving on,
typhoons can change course depending
on the local conditions of its landfall and other nearby weather
systems. The predicted course given
by PAGASA is obtained from an initial prediction from
mathematical models which is then updatedto take into account
possible changes. The bulletins are then corrected and reissued
every six hours.
The predicted course is thus useful within the accuracy and
precision that their models and updates
can give.
One should only expect accuracy within the capability of the
measuring device. To require more
from PAGASA, the president should have asked what equipment and
human resources is neededinstead of putting blame on its department
head.
In preparing for a typhoon, especially one that is covering a
large area and strong winds, it istherefore not just a matter of
alerting one region but ramping up the disaster readiness for
the
adjoining regions and cities as well. If PAGASA has pointed out
that Central Luzon will be along
the main path of the typhoon earlier in the day, the NDCC could
have been prudent enough to alert
Metro Manila and adjoining areas as well.
ITAGUYOD ANG AGHAM AT TEKNOLOHIYA PARA SA SAMBAYANAN!
P.O.Box 268 Araneta Center Cubao 1135 Quezon City
PhilippinesTelephone: +63 2 4343173 E-mail: [email protected] URL:
www.agham.org
