Pagasa told: Phone mayors for urgent weather warnings

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II tasked the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) Thursday to be the sole agency to directly call Metro Manila local chief executives to relay urgent weather warnings.

Roxas asked Pagasa to make a directory of personal and hotline numbers of all the 17 Mayors in Metro Manila in order to make the exchange of information faster between the weather bureau and local chief executives anytime of the day.

“Nais lang natin masiguro na hindi tayo magtuturuan later on. Ngayon pa lang habang wala pang ulan at baha, plantsahin na natin ito,” Roxas said before attendees of which include mayors and representatives from Pagasa and the Department of Science and Technology.

(We want to avoid blame game. While there is still no rain, let’s finalize this.)

He said Pagasa should make sure that they get the attention of mayors when a warning or advisory related to weather needs to be relayed.

“Ang point ay nagising sila, na-alert sila at nasimulan nila ang process sa paggawa ng decision (The point is they have been alerted so they can make their decision),” Roxas said.

Roxas called the command conference to assess the levels of disaster preparedness of each city in the Metro.

Other attendees include representatives from the Department of Social and Welfare and Development, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Education, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Philippine National Police, and Bureau of Fire Protection.