MANILA, Philippines?To ease the burden of the national government, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo Wednesday broached the idea of setting up local forecasting facilities in all local government units.

Robredo said the use of local-based forecasting facility proved successful in preventing casualties during typhoons and other calamities in his hometown when he was still mayor of Naga City in Camarines Sur province.

?We had zero casualties in Naga because we have our own typhoon tracker who does the tracking with our own reference point,? Robredo told reporters after meeting with police officials in Camp Crame.

With a minimum investment of P100,000 for the local typhoon tracker facility, he said the city government was able to help the whole of Camarines Sur trace the direction of an oncoming typhoon.

?If we can replicate that experience, it may not be as sophisticated as PAGASA (weather bureau), but it will be good in the sense that you?re more concerned with just your jurisdiction,? he said.

He said ?information about the typhoon would trickle down immediately because you?re only talking about your area.?

The newly designated interior secretary said it was also important for each local government unit to have their own alarm system to warn residents of an impending disaster.

?The important part of disaster management is the preparedness part of it. As we see today, we have to enhance our alarm system,? Robredo said.

He said concerned state agencies must craft a new alarm system based on the typhoon?s wind speed and water content.