DOST to establish rain gauges

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through its regional office here, and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) will establish in this city three Automated Rain Gauges (ARGs) as part of its implementation of the "Hybrid Weather Monitoring System and Production of Weather and Rain Automated Stations" in selected host local government units.

The memorandum of agreement for the establishment of the ARGs, which are designed to monitor real time rain amount, duration and intensity in specific areas or localities, was forged by DOST regional director Victor Mariano, ASTI director Denis Villorente and Mayor Oscar Rodriguez at Heroes Hall recently.

Pampanga Science and Technology director Mary Michelle Quiambao told Sun.Star Pampanga that the DOST has identified the critical need to support the establishment and operation equipment and related facilities like the ARGs in order to obtain real-time weather situations prevailing in the city.

"The ARG, which is a DOST-ASTI technology, is used for gathering real time rainfall data. It is very essential in our disaster risk reduction programs and we are happy that the City of San Fernando agreed to host the installation and operation of this weather monitoring equipment," Quiambao said.

She said the DOST-ASTI will facilitate, install, operate and coordinate the tenancy of the identified ARG site, as well as provide technical orientation and training for the caretakers of the station which will be provided by the city.

Each station will have an ARG composed of an ASTI datalogger, outdoor GSM antenna, a rain collector, and a 10-watt solar panel.

The city for its part will provide for space, civil works, security and maintenance of the ARGs and the stations, said Quiambao.