News and Features
Schools in hazard-prone areas gear up for Project Rain Gauge
[September 6, 2007/ Manila] - The Philippines’ complex weather system, plus the growing concern brought about by abrupt changes in climate, and the fact that there are only 58 ground stations for weather monitoring in the entire country – all contribute to the pressing need for effective and accurate local weather monitoring.
Through their participation in Project Rain Gauge, public high schools like the Lusaran National High School (NHS) and Paril NHS in Cebu City are taking an active role to help improve local weather reporting and forecasting in the country, specifically by providing the needed supplementary data on the amount of rainfall in their respective communities.
Project Rain Gauge is a joint undertaking of Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) and Manila Observatory’s KLIMA Climate Change Center, in cooperation with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Department of Education.
Its long-term goal is to create a network of ground stations across the country via Smart Schools to provide additional data on local rainfall measurement in specific areas. Rainfall observations performed and recorded by the schools can be used to determine fine-scale rainfall patterns necessary to describe local climate, and for more accurate weather reporting and forecasting in local communities.
Lusuran NHS in Cebu is part of the project test group of 17 partner schools under the Smart Schools Program that will maintain a rain gauge to be provided by Smart within their respective school grounds. Roy C. Genares, a math and physics teacher, says it’s the first such project for the school. “This is of great importance to us because our school is situated right beside Mt. Mahagnaw. Landslide, usually triggered by rain, is an imminent treat to our community.”
Roperto Arceo Jr. of the Paril National High School, also finds the project relevant since the school is located beside a river and across a mountain. “We’ve had to send the kids home when the river rises and threatens to flood our area,“ he says.
Arceo nearly lost his father and brother in a flashflood in 2004. Using Arceo’s motorbike, both were on their way to pick him up at school when they were swept away by the swirling waters. “It’s a good thing they managed to swim to safety. We later found the motorbike downriver, which I use to this day,” he recalls.
Arceo adds that they would like to help provide data that could help the school respond and prepare for the natural risks in their area.
Genares and Arceo are among the math and science teachers from the participating schools who attended a workshop on Rainfall Monitoring recently held at the Manila Observatory at the Ateneo De Manila campus in Quezon City.
The other public high schools that were represented are Baler NHS in Baler, Aurora; Paril NHS in Cebu City; Monkayo NHS in Compostela Valley; Paaralang Sekondarya ng Hen. Nakar in Quezon Province; New Ormoc City NHS in Ormoc City, Leyte; Ramon Avancena NHS in Iloilo City; Davao Sped in Davao City; Baguio City NHS; San Miguel NHS in Bulacan; Lusaran NHS in Cebu City; Gallanosa NHS in Irosin, Sorsogon; Cagayan NHS in Tuguegarao City; Naga Science HS in Naga City, Camarines Sur; San Juan NHS in Southern Leyte; Ligao NHS in Ligao City, Albay; Tabaco NHS in Tabaco City, Albay and Sagada NHS in Sagada, Mt. Province.
The one-day workshop consisted of exercises in rain gauge reading and data collection and recording. Resource persons from the Manila Observatory, KLIMA and PAGASA shared their expertise on various related topics which included climate change, rainfall monitoring uses and methods, climate modeling and forecasting, rain gauge monitoring protocol, importance of local weather monitoring, and disaster risk management.
“It is interesting to learn about rainfall monitoring. This will be very helpful,” says Norma Palma, chemistry and physics teacher at San Juan National High School in Southern Leyte. Resolute to do what can be done to avoid another Guinsaugon tragedy from happening, Palma plans to likewise involve mountain schools in the area for rainfall monitoring in the uplands. “The mudslide that buried an entire barangay was mainly caused by the big volume of water in the higher regions.”
Although it seldom rains hard in Davao, Helen Salazar of Davao City Special National High School recognizes the value of being informed and prepared, just the same. “I intend to involve everybody – both the high school and elementary levels. In fact, I’m planning to hold a symposium to promote rainfall monitoring awareness by October, which is science month,” says the biology and chemistry instructor.
Through student involvement, the project also creates a perfect avenue to educate the country’s youth on the significance of weather monitoring in light of climate change.
“We will teach them how to use the rain gauge, let them do the actual measurement. I feel that this will be a very exciting activity for them since it’s hands-on,” says Alicia Naag, a general science teacher at the Naga Science High School in Camarines Sur.
The schools are expected to start monitoring rainfall in their respective areas and submit the gathered data to KLIMA via the Internet. Accumulated data will be posted in a website where anybody can access the information. @