Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the establishment of the Disaster Science Management Center (DSMC) should be a national priority in order to better prepare the nation for the dealing with the multiple disasters that hit the country. “We need the DSMC to help us prepare for the typhoons and similar disasters that will continue to threaten the country. The government needs to be able to understand how to develop an advanced and real-time information dissemination strategy so people can better prepare to handle such events,” noted Angara.
Angara has recommended P100 million under the DOST national budget for 2011 for the establishment of the Disaster Center. The DOST budget is scheduled to be heard in plenary next week.
Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), noted that the DSMC is envisioned to become a regional hub for disaster science where our scientists can help prepare officials and LGU’s to handle natural calamities.
COMSTE has prioritized the creation of the DSMC and is working with the Manila Observatory (MO) to finalize proposals for its foundation.
The center is set to become a training center that will focus on scenario-type learning utilizing technology for disaster mitigation and management. Taiwan and Japan are already actively cooperating with training of local experts.
The DSMC is set to be a public-private initiative that the scientific community can use to better understand the mechanics of managing disasters with the cooperation of neighboring countries that have experienced similar storms and natural calamities as the Philippines.
