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President Benigno C. Aquino III on January 12 this year signed Proclamation No. 313 declaring January of every year as “Philippine Tropical Fabrics (PTF) Month” to promote the judicious use of indigenous fibers in the country such as piña, banana, abaca, and Philippine silk. The Proclamation also aims to sustain the increased interest on local tropical fibers brought about by the celebration of the Philippine Tropical Fabrics Day on January last year as mandated by Proclamation No. 86.

The Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI), which leads the research and development of technologies on the country’s tropical textiles, will spearhead the tropical fiber month celebration as designated by Pres. Aquino.

“The competitiveness of indigenous tropical fibers developed by PTRI is becoming known,” said DOST Sec. Mario Montejo. “Moreover, R&D work done on these fibers reveal they can have a broad variety of uses, from traditional formal wear to fashion accessories. Its prospects are bright.”

 

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As the cities of Iligan and Cagayan De Oro continue to reel from the huge swath of destruction of lives and property left behind by super typhoon “Sendong,” the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) introduced a locally-developed scientific flood warning system that offers a more responsive disaster preparedness mechanism for the country.

In an interagency meeting held recently, DOST Secretary Mario Montejo presented the National Flood Monitoring, Forecasting, and Mitigation Program-- an integrated, comprehensive system that responds to the urgent need for a reliable flood warning system covering the country’s major river systems and watersheds.

“The National Flood Monitoring Program is government’s commitment toward a more effective and efficient disaster mitigation and monitoring system. Too many lives have already been lost, and it is high time for science to step up to the plate and save lives this time around,” Montejo said.

The project received support from other meeting participants, including Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Ma. Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, including the undersecretaries from the interior and local government and environment departments. Leading the meeting was Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson.

The flood management program, according to Montejo, has four main components: the DREAM or the Disaster Risk Exposure, Assessment, and Mitigation; FLOODNET; Sensors Development and Weather Media.

 

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The year 2011 has ended, let us look back to the breakthroughs and achievements of the science department in the service of the Nation in the last 12 months.

The Department of Science and Technology blazed new trails in addressing long-standing and emergent problems of national urgency under its High Impact Technology Solutions program, or HITS. Through HITS, we were able to scale up our efforts and initiatives to make an impact on the life of Juan de la Cruz and his family.

Under this program, we launched technologies such as the Automatic Weather Stations, Automatic Rain Gauges, Automated Guideway Transport (AGT) system, water nanofiltration containers, complementary foods, among others.

Of particular mention, though, is our aggressive campaign in 2011 to get as many kits of the Mosquito Ovicidal-Larvicidal Trap to households at direct risk to dengue, the latest public health menace. I have always taken the position that scientific understanding and technological adeptness should always serve human needs not only to enhance the quality of life but also to save lives.

In connection with this, we accorded priority attention to contributing disaster relief and mitigation efforts down to the local levels. This proactive approach in disaster risk reduction and management, which Pres. Aquino cited on numerous occasions, characterized DOST’s most important achievement under the Aquino administration.

We also stood in constant vigil monitoring the potentially devastating fallout of a killer tsunami in Japan that seriously damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Here, the DOST issued daily updates to inform the Filipino public and pre-empt any false alarms and wild rumors meant to sow panic and confusion. We at the science department played a leading role in the country’s measured response against all these public interest events.

The national launch of Juan Time paved the way for Filipinos to understand the value of time. This socio-cultural initiative, where science is central, has made the public appreciate the existence of the Philippine Standard Time (PST) – with the DOST-PAGASA as the country’s official time keeper. An advocacy such as this proved that partnership can be made strengthened especially when national interest becomes the common concern.

In the coming year and beyond, the DOST is committed to fully implement its Five-Point DOST Development Program in line with the Aquino Administration’s national development agenda.

 

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The flashflood that killed and harmed hundreds of people in the northern Mindanao and southern Visayas areas was aggravated by the reported collapse of dams along the Cagayan de Oro River, according to the Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo. Montejo was with the presidential party devastated by flashfloods wrought by Tropical Storm Sendong.

“It is most likely that the flashflood in Cagayan de Oro was caused not only simply by the high volume of rain that fell in the watershed of rivers in said places but essentially of the reported collapse of dams at the upper parts of the rivers,” Montejo announced.

Reports from the field that reached the presidential party regarding the collapse of the dams are being investigated, per instructions of Pres. Benigno Aquino III.

“Pagasa had been doing its job conscientiously,” Montejo assured. “In fact, places such as Bohol, Surigao, and Camiguin that heeded Pagasa’s warning and took appropriate actions had mitigated the effects of Sendong.”

To further improve its weather forecasting and hazard mitigating capability, Montejo said that Pagasa in 2012 will upgrade monitoring systems.

“We are set to install 1,000 water level sensors in selected major river basins in 2012,” Montejo revealed. “Since the 1980s, only four rivers were installed with sensors to measure water-level rise. The President has given instructions and allotted resources to fast-track our river monitoring system nationwide to aid in forecasting potential floods.”

“To enhance rainfall and weather forecasting, we will also improve the integration of data from Doppler radars, satellites, automated weather systems, and rain gauges through numerical model WRF,” he added.