NOY LAUNCHES PROJECT 'NOAH' VS FLOODS / NOY'S SONA
DRAFT NOW 30-PLUS PAGES
[PHOTO - A Coast
Guard team conducts a rescue drill in Manila Bay as part of the disaster
preparedness campaign during the rainy season.]
MANILA,
JULY 9, 2012
(PHILSTAR) By Aurea Calica - President Aquino yesterday led the
launching of Project NOAH – or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards –
aimed at stepping up efforts toward more intensive disaster risk reduction and
management procedures during typhoons and calamities.
Marikina City, which was devastated by tropical storm "Ondoy" in 2009, was
chosen as the venue for the launching of the project.
The President said no matter how unpredictable the weather, the government
could not leave things to chance to ensure the safety of the people.
"In the past, whenever it is rainy season, we normally hear from Juan de la
Cruz the lines bahala na si Batman, (It's up to Batman). Handa akong
makipagsapalaran (I am ready to take the risk) or ipagpasa-Diyos na lang natin
ang lahat (Let's just leave everything to God)," he said.
Aquino said Project NOAH, which includes rain gauges and flood monitoring
systems, is not a miracle but a product of the cooperation among the Department
of Science and Technology, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology (Phivolcs), Advanced Science and Technology Institute, Science and
Technology Information Institute, Department of the Interior and Local
Government, University of the Philippines-National Institute of Geological
Sciences and Department, and other concerned agencies.
"You all prove that 'hindi totoong ang buhay ay weather-weather lang (it's
not true that life is like the weather). It is in our hands whether the sun will
shine for a better tomorrow and it is also up to us if we will remain in fear
for life," the President said.
[PHOTO -President Aquino logs in to the website of the Department of
Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration during the launching of the Nationwide Operational
Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) project of the DOST in Barangay Nangka, Marikina
City yesterday. WILLY PEREZ]
Based on records from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC), the country gets hit by at least 20 typhoons a year.
The NDRRMC said flooding incidents from 2000 to 2011 affected some 1.7
million Filipino families and damaged P160 billion in properties and livelihood.
Aquino said when he assumed the presidency, there were only four locally
assembled water level monitoring sensors in 2010 but nine had been added in 2011
and 12 more in 2012. At least 100 rain gauges were assembled last year and 86
had been deployed to different regions.
Since 2010, six Doppler radar stations were operational in Baguio, Subic,
Tagaytay, Virac, Mactan, and Hinatuan. Three more Doppler radar stations would
be put up in Tampakan, Aparri and Baler before the end of the year.
Using Project NOAH, PAGASA and Phivolcs would be able to provide a six-hour
lead-time warning to vulnerable communities against impending floods and to use
advanced technology to enhance current geo-hazard vulnerability maps.
Within two years, the NOAH program would provide high-resolution flood hazard
maps and install 600 automated rain gauges and 400 water level measuring
stations to 18 major river basins of the Philippines, namely; Marikina River
Basin, Cagayan de Oro River Basin, Iligan River Basin, Agno River Basin,
Pampanga River Basin, Bicol River Basin, Cagayan River Basin, Agusan River
Basin, Panay River Basin, Magaswang Tubig River Basin, Jalaur River Basin,
Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin, Agus River Basin, Davao River Basin, Mindanao River
Basin, Tagum-Libuganon River Basin, Tagaloan River Basin, and the
Buayan-Malungun River Basin.
[PHOTO -(President Benigno S. Aquino III, assisted
by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio
Coloma, Jr., former Akbayan Party List Representative Ana Theresia
Hontiveros-Baraquel, Marikina City Mayor Del de Guzman, Science and Technology
Secretary Mario Montejo, Project NOAH executive director Dr. Alfredo Mahar
Lagmay and Marikina City 2nd District Representative Romero Federico Quimbo,
presses the enter key to officially launched the Project NOAH (Nationwide
Operational Assessment of Hazards) website in a ceremony at the Nangka DEL
Covered Court, Balubad Settlement Phase II, Barangay Nangka, Marikina City
Friday (July 06).
Project NOAH is an integrated response to the call of the
President for quicker, more responsive disaster prevention, management and
mitigation system in the advent of climate change.
It basically bundles all the technologies, resources and people
of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for disaster mitigation in
one comprehensive program. It has three major components; local sensors
technology development, a six hour flood warning system and the use of 3D
mapping for charting hazard areas, and the use of Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) to save lives and property. (Photo by:
Robert Viñas / Gil Nartea / Malacañang Photo Bureau)
FROM THE DAILY TRIBUNE
NOY'S SONA DRAFT, NOW 30-PLUS PAGES LONG
CONSTANTLY EVOLVING - PALACE
[PHOTO- PRESIDENT NOYNOY
AQUINO]
Written by Tribune - President Aquino's third State of the Nation
Address (Sona), earlier described as free from theatrics, may be seen as
becoming numbing on the account of a continuously prolonged draft amid frequent
insertions deemed significant by the President.
At a press briefing over dzRB radio, deputy presidential spokesman
Abigail Valte yesterday said she has personally seen the "lengthy"
draft.
The Palace official added that until the eve of the President's
scheduled Sona, the draft would be subjected to a continuing revision by the
President himself.
Valte revealed that Aquino has been often seen making
insertions of matters he deemed equally important and deserve to be made part of
the Sona.
"I just saw the fourth draft of the Sona that was submitted to the
President. So that's already the fourth draft.
We will see a lot of movements, a lot changes in the way that the
President does his Sona in the next weeks. Just to give you an idea, the
President… it's a constant evolution.
[PHOTO - NOY'S DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON ABIGAIL
VALTE]
Whenever he sees something from his daily work that he feels that
should be included, he makes sure that thing is included. So constantly, it
would change.
He would call on his speechwriters, discuss his views, give them
his thoughts… it's just a matter of really taking down what the President is
saying and also reordering. There's a lot of reordering that is ongoing but the
entire team is closely working with the President on what he wants the final
Sona draft to be," Valte stressed.
The President, the Palace official added, might be using an audio
visual screen in trying to explain his Sona.
"That will also depend on the President. We are preparing some but
we are not certain it would be approved by the President. Or he may want another
form of audio visual presentation in lieu of what we have prepared. Again —
pardon me, I keep saying it over and over again, but it is a constant work in
progress," she added.
Valte, however, would not say whether Aquino would
be delivering his Sona in English or Filipino or a combination of
both.
"The President picks the language depending on the audience and
depending on what he wants to say," she added.
Asked how long the Sona
would take, Valte said "It's rather lengthy... let's leave it at 30-plus pages."
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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