Agreement wants lawmakers to disseminate latest weather bulletins

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A proposed agreement seeks to require lawmakers to help disseminate the latest weather bulletins to their constituents, helping them prepare for impending disasters.

Under the proposed memorandum of agreement, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)-Department of Science and Technology would be tasked to “regularly provide the House of Representatives, through the office of the Secretary General, bulletins, warnings and advisories related to occurrences of typhoons and floods, and other weather and climate-related information, which could impact on the welfare and safety of the public, and update the House of any changes affecting is weather information service.”

This additional role for lawmakers to help alert the public on weather conditions and on what they should do to brace for pending disasters, Agham partylist Representative Angelo Palmones who proposed the arrangement.

The agreement, which is currently under review, would be between the House of Representatives represented by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and, represented by its administrator, Dr. Nathaniel Servando.

The House, through the office of the secretary general, was mandated to “disseminate all information provided by to all members of the House of Representative, who in turn can directly transmit weather bulletins, warnings and advisories to their respective districts, and provide feedback on the tie-up for purposes of improving weather and climate information services rendered by PAGASA.”

Palmones said tapping the lawmakers to help in the weather information dissemination was important in the light of the frequent and pocket heavy rains being experienced in the country, which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said was now the new normal.

According to the proposed agreement, one major component of disaster mitigation from natural hazards was “fast and effective dissemination and communication of weather information, warnings and advisories.”

“Members of the House have fast and direct access to communities and constituents in their districts, and could be of help in transmitting typhoon and flood-related advisories and warnings,” it added.

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