DOST launches game development competition
- Details
- Hits: 6747
The Philippine Science Heritage Center (PSHC), the country’s resource center highlighting the significant contributions of Filipinos in the world of science, will start becoming interactive in 2015 as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through its advisory body, the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), launched the Salinlahi Evolution: Game Development Competition last December 5, 2014 at PSHC in Bicutan, Taguig City.
The competition, open to college students with the skills and talent for creating digital learning games anchored on science and technology (S&T), features group and individual categories. The computer games should run on Windows while mobile games should run on Android devices. They should be in English and may be played even without internet connectivity.
The winning digital games will be featured at the PSHC, which is under the management of DOST-NAST. The plan is to have it exclusively distributed in the center for six months.
TY Ruby slows down, Eastern Visayas starts clearing operations – DOST-PAGASA
- Details
- Hits: 15520
TAGUIG City -- Typhoon Ruby (international code name Hagupit) has weakened according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and has been has been downgraded to a tropical storm.
On its 11 a.m. advisory on Monday, December 8, PAGASA noted that Typhoon Ruby has weakened and is now packing maximum sustained winds of 105 kilometers per hour (kph) with a gustiness of up to 135 kph. With its present track, it is forecast to move west northwest at a slow pace of 10 kph. Because TY Ruby weakened, it is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Thursday instead of the initial forecast of Wednesday.
Metro Manila expects to experience strong winds and heavy rains from Typhoon Ruby when the tropical cyclone passes close to the metropolis between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, December 8.
DOST-PAGASA has raised public storm warning Signal No. 2 over Metro Manila, while Signal No. 3 warning was raised in several provinces south of the nation's capital.
Read more: TY Ruby slows down, Eastern Visayas starts clearing operations – DOST-PAGASA
MONTEJO TO LGUs: PREPARE FOR THE WORST
- Details
- Hits: 5256
“Now is the time to apply what we learned.”
With these words, DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo reminded all participating local government officials to set in motion the key learnings from the series of disaster risk reduction and mitigation (DRRM) workshops held in all 17 regions over the summer conducted by the science department and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to prepare for worst-case scenarios such as Typhoon Ruby, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Thursday morning, December 4th.
The DRRM workshops, called “Iba Na AngPanahon/Science for Safer Communities,” were in response to the need for heightened awareness and closer coordination among stakeholders in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda. They promoted a more science-based, scenario-oriented approach that highlighted the preventive aspect of disaster risk reduction and mitigation.
Likewise, Montejo advised the public to stay tuned for the latest developments on the typhoon track through reliable sources such as the DOST’s PAGASA and Project NOAH websites.He warned against the spreading of unverified news information via text messages and social media that only cause panic and confusion in the populace.
As of 11 AM, December 4th, Typhoon Ruby was spotted 860 kilometers east of Surigao City and packing maximum winds of 195 kilometers per hour near the center with gustiness reaching 230 KPH. The typhoon is forecast to move at a rate of 20 KPH west northwest and make landfall by late Friday evening or early Saturday morning. (S&T Media Service)
DOST props up one-stop weather info shop
- Details
- Hits: 4985
All the local weather information you want, you may find in this one-stop shop currently being set-up by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) with the help of computer giant International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
Called the Intelligent Operations Center or IOC, the one-stop shop aims to consolidate information from PAGASA as well as the different components of the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (Project NOAH).
Formally unveiled during the last leg of DOST’s nationwide information campaign dubbed as “Iba na ang Panahon: Science for Safer Communities” at the Philippine International Convention Center in May 2014, IOC will also provide analysis of a disaster’s possible impact.