SAN MANUEL -- The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) and the National Power Corporation recently conducted a seminar-workshop in preparation of the onset of the rainy season.
This was held at the San Roque Power Corporation (SRPC) conference room here.
Main participants were local chief executives and heads of the disaster action offices from the 17 localities downstream of the San Roque Dam.
It also included workers from the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council, the Provincial Council and from other unit offices in the province.
Pagasa and NPC presented their respective flood forecasting and warning activities.
Also, they issued warning protocols during spilling operation and activities of the National Water Resources Board.
It will be recalled that there was a great uproar against the Pagasa, NPC, and the SRPC after several parts of Pangasinan, particularly the central area, were submerged sometime in October 2009.
The flood was caused by the release of a big volume of water from the dam when water level has reached the critical level.
Main question poised then by Governor Amado Espino Jr. and other officials was on the protocol when the releasing water from the dam.
The recent seminar-workshop was conducted in cooperation with the agencies involved in the flood forecasting and warning activities like the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The DPWH, on the other hand, assured of their structural flood mitigation measures. Also, the update on the ongoing rehabilitation of the flood control structures along the Agno River Basin which were damaged during typhoon Pepeng in 2009.
As presented, “one of the goals of the said workshop was to address the gaps in the information dissemination scheme which is being followed by Pagasa nd NPC in their flood forecasting and warning activities”.
Furthermore, one of the important components of a flood forecasting and waning system is the conduct of public information and education.
The local government units were encouraged to come up with an action plan “to ensure speedy transmission of flood warning information to the concerned communities.” (LCMY/Sunnex)