DISASTER SCIENCE TAGGED AS NATIONAL PRIORITY

The Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) identified the development of disaster science as one of the priority projects of the commission for 2011 in an en banc meeting held at the Senate recently.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Chair of COMSTE, enumerated the flagship projects of the commission, which are Telehealth for remote areas and Digital Medical Records, Remote-Sensing for Agriculture, Electronic Vehicles and Green Transport and Disaster Science, Biotechnology for Health and food security, and Renewable Energy Systems.

Angara said that the establishment of the Philippine Disaster Science Center (PDSC) should be a national priority in order to better prepare the nation for the dealing with the multiple disasters that hit the country and to aid the government in lessening the costs of disaster recovery.

He noted that the PDSC is envisioned to become a regional hub for disaster science. The center will also incorporate accurate science for forecasting and modeling as well as provide training to local governments and private institutions for disaster response and management

COMSTE reports that the center will utilize an S&T-based strategy for risk reduction, integrated risk governance, and will be the premier institute for disaster science in the country. Through the center, the country can build collaboration with other countries' disaster science centers for regional climate data sharing and analysis.

Angara said that, "we need to adopt a pro-active approach in order to properly address this problem. A scientific approach supported by extensive research has already led me to appropriate PHP 100M from the budget for the establishment of a Philippine Disaster Science Center, roughly PHP40M of which is allocated for a proposed Disaster Science Management Center."

COMSTE Executive Director Dr. Gregory L. Tangonan also presented the re-organization of the Commission, which would fall into 2 major panels. These panels will be on composed of experts who (1) understand and can articulate the economic significance and impact of S&T on the country and its development, and (2) can identify the best technologies from around the world that the country needs to acquire.

The reorganization of the panels is aimed at improving the country's global competitiveness in S&T by applying world class collaboration between the government, academe and industry to address the nation's critical needs.