Bacolod City – A project aimed at fortifying Bacolod City’s defenses against floods and typhoons was presented recently to the Bacolod City government by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA).
The project, called the Community-based Flood Early Warning System (CBFEWS), was presented by DOST-PAGASA Hydro-meteorology Division Officer-in-charge Oskar Cruz.
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan said that the project will be used to issue warnings based on a three-level alert system: monitoring, alert, and warning.
“The data will be localized in Bacolod and will be anchored in PAGASA,” Pornan said.
The DRRMO head said the project includes installation of 9 rain gauges, mostly in schools of Alangilan, Estefania, Paglaum, and the command center; 7 water level monitoring in bridges near NGC, Pahanocoy, Banago, and Sum-ag; and warning posts, to ensure that timely information reaches residents in flood-prone areas.
Pornan added that the DRRMO is waiting for the go-signal of the DOST-PAGASA regarding the equipment to be used, which are designed to help the community prepare and respond to hydro-meteorological hazards.
Pornan said on Tuesday that they also carried out a Radio Propagation Field test to evaluate the VHF equipment that they will be using to transmit the data.
The collaboration between DOST-PAGASA and the Bacolod City government is expected to strengthen the city’s disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
In addition, the DOST-PAGASA conducted an orientation about CBFEWS with the recipient schools and barangays. (Theresa Mae Dulman via tvds)