By Florence F. Hibionada/ PNS
Need some local weather data? Or the latest in weather, wind and sea condition? And how about regular updates on typhoons and tropical depressions?
For Ilonggos in need, check out the web. Or best yet, call the nearest official weather station in Cebu. Beyond that, it is back to looking at the stars for weather signs and signals here.
This, as the Iloilo station of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) closes shop and bid Iloilo goodbye. The reason? PAGASA Iloilo never really had its own office and station for its gadgets. In fact, the past years saw transfer after transfer from one site to the other.
From a sparsely furnished and most basic in box-type office in the old Iloilo Airport in Manduriao, Iloilo City, PAGASA Iloilo was given a space in the new airport in Cabatuan town. That offer fell short though on the actual needs of PAGASA and its equipment. Next off was the Iloilo Provincial Government to the rescue reason why temporary haven was made in the premises of the covered gym of the Iloilo Sports Complex.
By March 28th this year though, the Iloilo PAGASA station crew have had enough of the “obstructive area” with the national PAGASA giving the nod.
Raffy Tapales, local PAGASA man was officially heard on the matter only yesterday in a chance interview with RMN 774 Iloilo’s Novie Guazo and Rod Tecson.
“We have packed up,” Tapales confirmed adding that an office order already approved the Iloilo PAGASA personnel’s temporary detail to the Cebu station.
Such as he sounded hopeful that “maybe within the year” talks will materialize for a permanent Iloilo PAGASA station.
Incidentally, last year saw the signing of a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) between PAGASA and the local government of Guimbal for a permanent PAGASA station.
It was not immediately clear what happened since then albeit news reports then disclosed of Guimbal’s offer with expected construction by year-end of 2010. Tapales is now saying the same thing, that a supposed 2011 year-end development could be in the offing.
“For quite sometime our Pag-Asa Synoptic Station has been squatting at the covered gym of the Iloilo provincial government. Thankfully the LGU of Guimbal has offered an area which can host our new synoptic station,” Science and Technology regional director Rowen R. Gelonga was then quoted adding that with the transfer to the new location, “the PAGASA would not only serve as synoptic station but it also as a marine monitoring station.”
Had the Guimbal plan pushed through, Iloilo would have had the “usual weather observation” and can also conduct monitoring of the condition of coastal waters.
Meantime, Tapales advised Ilonggos to just seek assistance with the official website of PAGASA.