Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

PAGASA’s radar plan delayed

Posted on July 12, 2008

PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — The plan of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration to buy five Doppler radars with atotal cost of P500 million had been delayed by the intervention of two congressmen, sources in the House of Representatives said yesterday.

The two lawmakers wanted to have a hand in the bidding and supply of the equipment, sources said.

A Doppler radar is used by weathermen to measure the amount of rain that a weather system will bring to a certain area.

One of the sources, who is allied with the ruling party, said the lawmakers are making it difficult for Pagasa to procure the equipment amd improve its weather forecasting system. Pagasa director Nilo Prisco is caught in the crossfire, the sources said.

Their bickering came to fore after a supplier of Doppler radars identified with a certain politician from the Bicol region had pre-qualified for the bidding and was about to make the delivery when another lawmaker stepped in.

The source said Pagasa officials were pressured by another politician from Southern Tagalog to stop the transaction and called for another bidding to include his favored supplier.

“I just hope that Pagasa officials have the guts to tell the whole truth about the delayed modernization of the agency,” the source said. “Otherwise, they will take all the blame.”

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, earlier said Pagasa had received funds to purchase the Doppler radars over a three-year period—P149 million in 2005, P200 million in 2007, and an additional P85 million calamity fund during the same year.

During Monday’s hearing conducted by the House committees on transportation and oversight chaired by Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Pagasa officials were “grilled” extensively by the panel members over the June 21 sinking of m/v Princess of the Stars in Romblon.

The House sources said that most of the lawmakers treated “with kid gloves” the officials of the Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the sunken ship. But they were mad as hell as they peppered the weather officials with irrelevant questions, the sources said.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme