The soft launch is graced by DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña. With PAGASA Key Officials, DOST Officials Undersecretary Renato Solidum, Undersecretary Rowena Guevara, Deputy Executive Director Raul Sabularse of PCIEERD and representatives from OCD and DILG who are the number one clientele of the website in terms of disaster preparedness agencies held today January 10, 2018 at the Cocoon Hotel, Quezon City.

To be more reachable with new user friendly DOST-PAGASA portal in helping building resilient communities, early warning system through 4G’s: good forecast, good communication, good decision, go and take action.

Additional data from the previous website features, the new website features the 5-day weather outlook, current weather in real time and meteogram/hourly forecast. Before it is an hourly forecast for the day in one graph with comprehensive presentation of the different weather elements such as temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, and wind.

Included are contour maps that visualizes various near-real time weather information on weather parameters generated from Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) located across the country. It also carries a re-organized menu of PAGASA outputs and services, categorized and grouped for easier navigation in both desktop and mobile.

The new face of the website contains current alerts and advisories for light to severe hazards and weather disturbances at a glance.

“After this soft launching, refinement will be done to include the provision of impact-based Forecasting and Warning for flood, Storm surge, Severe winds, PUMIS data that are analyzed maps, risk maps and climate projections.” emphasized Dr. Vicente Malano, Administrator- DOST-PAGASA

On the pipeline under its operationalization in April to May this 2018 communication activities are lined up such as promotion, Information and Education Campaign and Press Conference. Capacity building for LGUs and other stakeholders will be conducted before the official launching. ( MJ Olvina- Balaguer, 09053611058,maryjaneolvina@gmail.com)

Quezon City, Pilipinas- FILIPINO time ay “on Time”, ito ang bagong normal ngayong naipasa na ang Philippine Standard time Law o RA 10535 kung saan ipinag uutos na magsabay-sabay ang lahat ng orasan sa bansa sa pangunguna ng orasang itinakda ng Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Serves Administration (PAGASA) ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Sa batas na ito ay magiging lipas na ang pagiging atrasado ng pinoy, ang tamang oras ang susundin sa lahat ng tanggapan ng pamahalaan maging sa mga pamamahayag sa radyo at telebisyon. Ngayon ay ginigunita ang pambansang linggo nang pagpapahalaga sa oras o “National Time Consciousness Week” at magkakaroon ng isang pulong balitaan ang kagawaran ng agham sa pangunguna ng PAGASA na itinuturing na “official time keeper”.///michael N Balaguer, 09333816694, michaelbalaguer@diaryongtagalog.net

There are social benefits and economic if all our time pieces are synchronized with the Philippine Standard Time (PhST), according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). “As we encourage the public to synchronize all their watches with Philippine Standard Time, we would like also to promote good habits which are not being late and avoid making excuses in performing our respective duties and commitments,” said Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) Administrator Dr. Vicente B. Malano during the press conference for the celebration of National Time Consciousness Week held on 05 January 2017 at PAGASA Amihan Conference Room in Quezon City. Republic Act 10535 or the Philippine Standard Time Act of 2013 set the Philippine Standard Time in all official sources throughout the country. It also sets the National Time Consciousness Week every first week of January. Dr. Malano said that if our offices, local governments, or private companies are giving an effort to synchronize time devices with PhST, it means that we put so much value on time management especially in delivering efficient kind of services to the public or to our client. “It is very crucial for a government agency like us to recognize the importance of deadlines and call times, especially if we would like to increase our credibility to the public. It is about showing that we are committed to our responsibility and we make ourselves accountable if we cannot perform our task on time,” Dr. Malano shared. Meanwhile, for DOST’s Science Technology Information Institute (STII) Director Richard P. Burgos, he believes that all industries, businesses, and professions, could gain lot of benefits if punctuality becomes serious practice for everyone. “That is why we are celebrating this (National Time Consciousness Week) and we are encouraging everyone to sync their watches and clocks with Philippine Standard Time, to remind us that, if we practice ourselves to be always on time, we could generate more income, we could save more lives, we could build better career, and we could have a successful life,” Dir. Burgos said/// Allan Mauro V. Marfal, DOST-STII Enacted into a law since 2013* The importance of synchronizing all time pieces is highlighted under RA 10535. The law also requires all government offices and media networks to use PhST as a basis to set their time pieces. The law also sets penalties for institutions that do not comply with the PhST requirements. DOST-PAGASA has been the official time keeper of the Philippines by law since 1978. Dr. Aristotle P. Carandang, chief of Communication Resources and Production Division of DOST-STII, shared that the early adaptors of this law. These are DOST Region XI office in Davao City as first government office, San Pablo City in Laguna as first local government unit (LGU), and Cauayan City in Isabela as first LGU with all its barangays displaying digital clock in synch with the PhST. Further, he shared that at DOST activities are started on time and some adjustments are made so that programs are opened even when speakers or other involved individuals are not yet in the venue. Dr. Carandang says, ‘This our little effort that we would like to build on and work in order to increase the awareness of the public about Philippine Standard Time, especially its main goal which is to inject to every Filipino the importance of respecting everyone’s time.” He also said that DOST-STII is the agency mandated by the law to conduct promotional activities related to PhST, including the celebration of National Time Consciousness Week.

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