PAG-ASA: Flood warning 
systems in Bohol rivers soon 

By Elvira BongosiaPublished on January 28, 2019 

TAGBILARAN CITY, January 24 (PIA)--The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) with the help of the South Korean government have agreed to establish a flood early warning systems in Bohol rivers that will help the province prepare for floods. 

Gov. Edgar Chatto announced this during the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) Full Council Meeting held at the Governor’s Mansion in Tagbilaran City on Wednesday afternoon. 

Chatto said PAGASA administrator Vicente Malano and a team from the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) visited him last Monday at his office and discussed the initiative’s implementation. 

The governor said that the flood early warning systems will cover major rivers in the province including those in Cortes, Inabanga, Loboc, Garcia Hernandez, Duero, Jagna and Guindulman. 

The Loboc river, Inabanga river and Abatan river in Cortes have so far been scheduled for inspection by a team from the Department of Land, Water and Environment Research of the KICT. 

In the meeting, PAGASA Bohol Head Leonardo Samar announced to the council members the establishment of their office at the Bohol Panglao International Airport in Panglao town. 

Samar also announced the 98 percent completion on the structure of the Bohol Doppler Weather Surveillance Radar Station at Basacdacu in Alburquerque town and expressed optimism that it will be installed by May or June this year. 

This P100-million facility is expected to enhance weather monitoring that will cover the whole Philippine archipelago using radar and will also allow PAG-ASA an increase capability in thunderstorm and rainfall forecasting. 

PDRRM Officer Anthony Damalerio meanwhile, reported the accomplishments of the PDRRMO. 

Eugene Cabrera, the new regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Region 7 also attended the meeting and expressed his admiration for the province’s DRRM initiatives. 

“Bohol is one of the most admired provinces in the entire country when it comes to initiatives in DRRM,” Cabrera said. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)

Gov. Edgar Chatto (center) presiding the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) Full Council meeting at the Governor’s Mansion in Tagbilaran City on Jan. 23, 2019. Chatto is joined by PDRRM Officer Anthony Damalerio (R) and new OCD-7 Regional Director Eugene Cabrera (L). (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)