Pagasa wants telephone companies to send storm alerts

As the finger-pointing escalates over who’s to blame for the catastrophe left by Tropical Storm “Sendong,” a weather forecaster has proposed a novel idea: Why don’t mobile phone companies send out free weather forecasts to save more lives?

Since the weather bureau could only do so much in disseminating weather updates, forecaster Jori Loiz on Tuesday suggested that Smart Communications, Globe Telecom and Sun Cellular send out SMS (short message system) of storm signals to their millions of subscribers.

“I wish the time will come when Globe and Smart send out our warnings via SMS to all their subscribers. Even people in far-flung areas would get these immediately. Almost all Filipinos have cell phones. This is the fastest way we can reach people,” he said in an interview.

Loiz said this should be part of the telecommunication firms’ public service. “If they can send us free text messages, why not warnings about the weather?”

It is estimated that nine out of every 10 Filipinos use a cell phone.

The National Typhoon Center in South Korea sends out regular advisories on an approaching cyclone to Koreans via SMS, and this could serve as a model for the Philippines, Loiz said.

“This is shouldered by the Korean government. But if this is adopted here, Smart and Globe could share the costs,” he said. (Smart has acquired Sun.)

Sending free SMS of storm signals becomes more imperative in the Philippines in the wake of a reduction in interconnection fees among telecommunication firms. Smart, Globe and Sun have yet to correspondingly reduce the price they charge subscribers  for SMS.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has come under a storm of criticism anew over the trail of destruction left by the storm.

Pagasa updates the public on cyclones through radio, TV, newspapers and Twitter.

Another forecaster said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council in Surigao del Sur province had managed to disseminate the bureau’s updates on Sendong to the village level via SMS.

It was “no coincidence” that there were a few casualties there, said the forecaster, who asked not to be named.

Loiz said Pagasa could only issue warnings over the media and that it was up to the local government officials to relay these to their constituents who have no access to TV, radio, newspapers or the Internet.

“It’s all a matter of political will [on the part of the officials]. Our mandate is to warn people,” he said.