PRESS RELEASE
DOST-PAGASA
S&T Media Service
20 June 2022

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will be observing the Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week with the intensified public information campaign to focus on this year’s theme “From Forecast to Action Towards a Typhoon and Flood Resilient Community.” The Philippine community-based early warning system coupled with the current modification of the Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) system has been an innovative strategy for coping with weather-related disasters which the government and concerned stakeholders jointly seek to reinforce.

The DOST-PAGASA and its partners in the community-based approach are acknowledged and emulated by the Typhoon Committee member countries for pioneering good practices in public disaster awareness and response. The opportunity is presented to inculcate lessons learned in the mitigation of typhoon and flood disasters as well as to update the public on the ongoing PAGASA modernization about the agency’s improved forecast products and services.

This year’s observance is timely and significant in preparation for the rainy/typhoon season. It also commemorates the anniversary of the “Great Luzon Flood of 1972” exactly 50 years ago. It was this precursory event that launched the National Flood forecasting of the Philippine Weather Bureau which became the PAGASA that same year by senate approval of the “Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Science Act of 1972 followed by Presidential Decree no 78.

Various IEC activities and programs were lined up for this observance. Highlighting the kick-off activities of the TFAW is a press conference back-to-back with the project launch of the #MAGHANDA IEC Campaign scheduled on 20 June 2022, followed by a webinar on “Maagang Aksyon at Akmang Gawin Ayon sa Panahon” (MAAGAP) for science teachers and school disaster risk reduction coordinators in Regions 6,7,8 and NCR scheduled on June 21, 2022. Interested participants may register at https://bit.ly/TFAW2022.

As part of the campaign, and taking into consideration to empower the community against typhoons and flood hazards, an IEC campaign for DRRMOs of the Province of Rizal will be conducted in Antipolo City on 24 June 2022 back-to-back by a Flood Drill in Brgy. Sta. Ana, San Mateo, Rizal on 25 June 2022. Culminating the observance of the TFAW is the Media Seminar-Workshop for NCR & MIMAROPA slated 8-10 July 2022 which coincides with the annual observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month this July.

The observance of the Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week was declared under the Presidential Proclamation #1535 in 2008 every third week of June and the year thereafter to increase the public and stakeholders' awareness and positive action towards typhoons as well as flooding and its related hazards.

For more information, please call the Information and Media Affairs Unit of the Climatology & Agrometeorology Research and Development Section (CARDS) at telephone numbers 8925-6943 or 8284-0800 local 818/907/908.

Original Signed:


VICENTE B. MALANO, Ph.D.
Administrator