The Aboitiz Group is turning over 217 Automated Weather Stations (AWS) sites and over 250 weather technology assets to various government and non-government groups to boost the country’s disaster resilience program.
The initiative was announced on June 30, 2020, the eve of the start of the Philippines’ National Disaster Resilience Month in July.
The Aboitiz Group turned over the following:
- 19 30-watt solar panels, complete with batteries to the Department of Agriculture (DA) in support of the urban garden set-up
- rain gauges, solar panels, satellite transmitters, and weather detectors, among others, were turned over to the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), the Manila Observatory, and the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Bureau of Plant Industry
- weather assets namely (Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) data loggers, IDP satellite transmitters, and lightning detectors) were turned over for the advancement of its weather research efforts of the Manila Observatory
The turnover of assets marks the official winding down of WeatherPhilippines, a multi-sectoral initiative founded in 2012 by the Aboitiz Foundation and UnionBank that provides a premier weather-sensing and forecasting system designed for social and economic growth.
“Although we are winding down the WeatherPhilippines Foundation, we consider today’s event as a turn over of not just solar panels, but a set of golden keys that will unlock many great possibilities for our agriculture sector – especially in terms of hydroponics, weather technology, sustainable livelihood, and inclusive agribusiness,” said Maribeth L. Marasigan, Aboitiz Foundation President and Chief Operating Officer.
The donations will pave the way for more community-based disaster risk reduction and management projects to be adopted by the Aboitiz Foundation nationwide beginning July.
As the first private, nonprofit weather technology organization in the Philippines, WeatherPhilippines has gathered the support of nearly 600 donors and partners both from the public and private sectors and maintained 730 AWS in 680 cities and municipalities that provided free, localized, and accurate weather information to the public through its renowned meteorologists.
It has also trained close to 900 disaster risk reduction and management officers on the use and maintenance of AWS and built the capabilities of about 9,500 community members and teachers on weather knowledge nationwide.
DOST-PAGASA has also developed a new method to forecast storms 2 weeks in advance.
Aboitiz Group’s Project ARK had also donated thousands of COVID-19 test kits to Batangas in its first donation outside of Metro Manila.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the Aboitiz Group for donating its weather technology assets to boost the Philippines’ disaster resilience capability.
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