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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ask 'linguistics experts': Weather forecasts should be easy to understand, says Tolentino

Ask 'linguistics experts': Weather forecasts should be easy to understand, says Tolentino

Published Nov 16, 2024 09:01 am

At A Glance

  • For Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, weather advisories of the  Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) should be simplified for ordinary Filipinos in order  help communities prepare better for incoming typhoons.

For Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, weather advisories of the  Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) should be simplified for ordinary Filipinos in order  help communities prepare better for incoming typhoons.

“Weather advisories should be easily understood by ordinary Filipinos, that way we can save lives. These should be simplified and translated to local languages,” Tolentino said in a radio interview on DWIZ on Saturday, Nov. 16.

"To describe the estimated amount of rainfall, PAGASA should avoid using millimeters or color-coded warnings because these are technical terms that are difficult to understand," he added.

"We can say, for instance, how many drums of rainwater are forecast to be dumped in an area at a certain time due to the typhoon," added the senator, who had extensive experience in disaster mitigation and response as long-time chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

He suggested that PAGASA collaborate with linguistics experts from the University of the Philippines (UP), mass media, and communication experts to make the weather agency's bulletins simpler and easier to comprehend for the ordinary Filipino.

In addition, Tolentino is pushing for the sharing of resources among local government units (LGUs), and between the public and private sectors to optimize the use of vital facilities and equipment needed to respond to disasters.

"LGUs can share the use of evacuation centers. When one province or cluster of LGUs is severely hit by a calamity, including its evacuation centers, the adjacent province, which was less affected, could share its facilities, and vice versa," he explained.

He also suggested that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) tap private construction firms for the deployment of heavy equipment, including backhoes and bulldozers, so that roads and bridges blocked by landslides could be cleared immediately to facilitate rescue and relief efforts.

Tolentino says resorting to such life-saving measures become even more urgent as stronger and more frequent storms continue to batter the country.

Related Tags

Senator Francis Tolentino PAGASA weather forecast Typhoon Pepito
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