SENATE President Aquilino Martin Pimentel III has expressed dismay over what he opined as haphazard weather advisories from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) the day the city suffered the worst floods since Typhoon Sendong in 2011.
Pimentel said local governments and residents in the city and other areas in Mindanao could have prepared better had the state weather agency forecast clearly.
“Nangayo sila’g P700 million nga pundo unya ingon ra ni-ani ang ilang advisory? Mubo ra kaayo ug halos sila (Pagasa) ra ang makasabot,” said Pimentel.
He said they were too brief and vague for ordinary laymen to understand.
Pimentel said Pagasa officials should explain why their weather advisories were lacking information, otherwise he would put the weather agency under investigation.
In another development, city hall officials asked Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo for a “radar” so the City Disaster Risk Reduction Manage Department could improve its real-time weather monitoring capability.
In a meeting, the officials also proposed additional weather warning systems, improvement of the city’s drainage system and additional funds to strictly implement the “no build zones” in the city.
Taguiwalo, who was here last week to personally lead the welfare department in the relief operations, assured the city officials she would bring the proposals to Malacanang so that these could be evaluated and approved by President Duterte. (nitz arancon)
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