Luna, Apayao – Northern Luzon PAGASA Regional Services Division informed officials of the Apayao PLGU of the developments of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Station Project for Apayao-Abulug River Basin, one of the major river basins in the Philippines.
The Apayao-Abulug River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Station is a joint project between DOST-PAGASA and Japan International Cooperation System and shall be operated in Luna, Apayao.
Said project could greatly help prevent casualties and manage troubles caused by flooding with the timely provision of accurate data for flood forecasting.
The good news was relayed by Engr. Leo Bunag, Weather Services Chief of Northern Luzon – PAGASA during the joint Provincial Solid Waste and Management Board and Provincial Disaster risk Reduction and Management Council first quarter meeting in San Gregorio, Luna Apayao this March 21, 2023.
The lower parts of Apayao is prone to flooding, especially Luna and Sta. Marcela, which in recent years experienced areas submerged and vast agricultural lands devastated by deluge.
Several of the early warning devices which shall be hooked up to the station have already been installed in the municipalities of Pudtol, Luna, Calanasan, Flora, Conner and Kabugao, but are yet to fully be utilized once the Apayao-Abulug River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Station being built is completed.
The devices are the rectangular like metal boxes with antenna, powered by solar panels, that hang by the side of bridges. These collect data which include rain fall and water level and are later transmitted to a weather office for analysis.
Results are then used for flood forecasting and classifying warnings.
Bunag reported that the weather facilities will enable the local government units in the province to issue earlier bulletins and advisories to communities and allow for better preparations.
Bunag likewise mentioned of the training to be done, so each municipality will have some workforce capacitated to read the device and even possibly to do troubleshooting to some extent.
The PAGASA official, on the other hand, mentioned of vandalism issues regarding two of the devices. The fence protecting the device in Kabugao was removed, while the solar panel energy supply of the device in Calanasan was stolen. Bunag said the problems were solved, but he is hoping such incidents will be prevented in the future.
Officials from concerned municipalities, in response, said they have attended to the issue of safeguarding the said flood forecast and warning devices and are putting in place measures to avoid a repeat of the situation. -PIO Staff
Comments