WeatherPhilippines backs gov’t on disaster management

THE Aboitiz Group, through its partnership with Meteomedia of Switzerland, is working together with donors in the private sector to support the Philippine government in its efforts to reduce weather-related disaster risks in the country.

Aboitiz and Meteomedia early this year established the WeatherPhilippines Foundation to operate a premiere weather forecasting system that will provide free weather information to reduce risks and calamities associated with adverse climate conditions in the country.

“Together with our partners, it is the vision of WeatherPhilippines Foundation to be the trusted and most reliable private weather information organization in the country. We believe that through this initiative, the private sector can be a good partner of government in the area of disaster risk management,” said Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. chairman Jon Ramon Aboitiz.

Supporting WeatherPhilippines are several donors that have pledged to make the project sustainable. Platinum donors are SM Investments Corp., Nickel Asia Corp./Sumitomo Metals Mining Co. Ltd., International Container Terminal Services Inc., Vista Land and Life Scapes. Gold sponsors are Hedcor Inc. SN Aboitiz Power, Visayan Electric Co., Ocean Adventure, Syngenta, Davao Light and Power Company, Quasha Law and Cebu Pacific. These key donors recently held a signing ceremony with WeatherPhilippines at the Manila Polo Club to seal their commitment.

LOCALIZED FORECAST

Aboitiz subsidiaries AboitizPower Corporation and Union Bank of the Philippines will fund WeatherPhilippines to set up some 1,000 weather instruments and devices all over the country in its first two years of operations. Meteomedia, for its part, will provide the necessary technology to operate the system and to generate timely, accurate and localized weather forecasts.

The ultimate goal of WeatherPhilippines is to complement the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards).

“Through the DOST, we seek to collaborate to improve weather forecasting, rationalize resources for wider coverage of weather stations and related devices, and develop local weather equipment and technology with Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration; Project NOAH; and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), respectively,” Aboitiz said.

The League of Provinces of the Philippines has also been tapped to ensure the coverage of 80 provinces, assigning automated weather stations in each of the provincial capitols. The League of Cities of the Philippines, meanwhile, has committed to help provide all 130 cities nationwide with weather stations in city halls. Meteomedia experts trained the personnel handling the system.

Dr. Martin Kurer, president of Meteomedia International, said: “The generous support of the private sector and the proactive partnership and programs undertaken by the government is overwhelming. Meteomedia, through its local subsidiary Meteomedia Philippines, will continue to provide its expertise and collaborate with all involved parties to further elevate the status disaster risk preparedness and management in the country.”

WeatherPhilippines also operates a portal, weather.com.ph, powered by Meteomedia that features a wealth of weather information and movies, webcams as well as weather TV.