THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Asti) is targeting to complete the Deployment of Early Warning System (Dews) project in selected flood-prone areas in Mindanao this June.
The system will measure water and rain levels that will be useful in protecting the lives, properties, and livelihood in various communities.
Assistant Project Leader of Dews Oskar Cruz said during a press conference on Wednesday, May 17, at the Ritz Hotel Garden Oases that they are set to roll-out dues in flood-prone areas in Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Caraga Region.
He said they already installed the system in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Zamboanga Peninsula (Western Mindanao). The installation of the Dews began last year.
In Davao Region, Cruz said there are already 12 Automatic Rain Gauge's and 6 Water Level Monitoring System's yet to be installed in addition to the existing 82 warning devices in Davao region while the installations in Soccsksargen and Caraga Region are ongoing.
He added that they already sent request to the National Government for an extension of two years for this project due to the requests from other municipalities that were not covered by Dews.
There are a total of 17 municipalities and cities in the three regions that are currently part of the project. Of the 17, Mabini, Nabunturan, Hagonoy, Magsaysay, Caraga, Cateel Tagum City, Panabo City, and Davao City have river basins.
The equipment used in Dews project were developed by Filipino engineers and scientists verified by Asti.
Cruz said these early warning devices will be monitored consistently by Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), DOST, and Asti to assure the effectiveness of this system once installed.
"From the engineers from Asti, who assembled our equipment, DOST is tasked to oversee the installation of these equipments, and Pagasa will give the technical advice especially specifications under the the standard of World Nature Organization," he said.
Cruz said the goal of the project is to create communities that respond to the warnings provided by DOST and Pagasa using the Water Level Monitoring System and Automatic Rain Gauge installed at different river systems and secondary tributaries.
The system will measure water and rain levels that will be useful in protecting the lives, properties, and livelihood in various communities.
"It is a community-based project empowering barangays to use their own knowledge about flood management by providing them the needed equipments and tools and teach them how to use it for their own good," Cruz said.
He added that the project does not change the traditional flood management taught to the communities but rather strengthen this using the equipments that are installed in rivers and roads to measure certain water levels.