Leyte, 14 others to receive automated weather facility

LEYTE, together with 14 other provinces in the Visayas, is a recipient of an automated weather facility provided by Weather Philippines Foundation of the Aboitiz Group of Companies.

The turnover of the automated weather facility was conducted after the installation training provided by Weather Philippines to more or less 30 representatives from the provinces.

The recipients were Negros Oriental, Guimaras, Siquijor, Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, Dinagat, Capiz, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, and Leyte.

The representatives from these provinces were trained on the maintenance and installation of the automated weather device at the Governor's Hall of the Provincial Capitol.

The automatic weather facility would provide a localized picture of current and future weather conditions. The facility, a technology from a company in Switzerland, is an electronic device that senses, measures, and transmits meteorological data of weather conditions.

Celso Caballero, Weather Philippines Foundation general manager, said the foundation has not been set up to compete with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), but rather to complement and intensify efforts of the state weather bureau in providing information.

"We would like to contribute to the Philippine society and economy by operating a premier weather forecasting system that will provide free weather information in an effort to reduce risks and calamities associated with adverse weather conditions," Caballero said.

He said the Weather Philippines Foundation is working to provide its key deliverables, including the set up of roughly 1,000 weather devices nationwide in its first two years of operations; affiliate and coordinate with various scientific, government and non-governmental agencies for the supply of weather information; and operate the weather portal that could show seven days forecast in a three-hour interval, through its technology partner Meteomedia Philippines.

Meanwhile, Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla said the province was one of those who clamored for the installation of the automated weather system, since typhoons and rainy seasons often occur in the province.

"We need those facilities so that we can immediately warn the public in instances which they need to evacuate. To be able to do that, we need reliable devices within our reach," he added.

The Provincial Government is aiming to install such units in all towns in the province to strengthen early warning system. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)