By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino has called on the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) to release more detailed weather forecasts in response to Typhoon Leon, aiming to mitigate severe impacts.
“PAGASA should not only issue warnings like signal numbers 3 or 4. They should also specify expected rainfall amounts in concrete terms,” Tolentino advised.
“For example, they could indicate if rainfall will be three times heavier than usual or provide other clear markers. This would be easier to understand and could save lives. In Talisay, for instance, residents were caught off guard by the heavy rainfall, which clearer warnings could have helped prevent.”
Some areas in the country are still recovering from the recent typhoon ‘Kristine.’
‘Kristine’ affected 6.7 million people or 1.6 million families across 10,147 barangays nationwide, causing an estimated P2.5 billion in agricultural losses and P1.5 billion in infrastructure damage.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, over 100 individuals lost their lives due to ‘Kristine.’
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