MikeLigalig.com

By: Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer

President Benigno Aquino has ordered the release of P1.6 billion to the Department of Science and Technology to enable it to tap “state of the art technology” and improve the accuracy of weather and disaster information-gathering and reporting in the country.

Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said the funds taken from government savings in 2011 would be used for the DOST’s nationwide Disaster Risk Exposure, Assessment and Mitigation (Dream) program.

“The Aquino administration is beefing up its capacity for disaster planning and response. Through the use of the latest technologies, the DOST under the leadership of Secretary Mario Montejo is beefing up its capacity to produce weather information, flood maps and other critical data accurately and rapidly,” Abad said.

Under the Dream program, the DOST will acquire geospatial data gathering technologies, particularly the Light Intensity Detection and Ranging (Lidar) and Airborne Radar Interferometry (Insar) systems.