PAGASA ‘AleRtO’ Project preps Cagayan for calamities

Tuguegarao city, Cagayan- Due to Cagayan’s history of flooding brought by strong typhoons and rainy seasons, the province will be part of the ‘ALeRTO’ or Automated Water Level and Rain Monitoring Using Near-Real-Time Observation project that aims to help monitor water level and rain level updates through the help of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The project gives early warnings that could help local authorities to buy enough time for the decision-making in order to prevent the adverse effects brought by flooding.

According to Provincial Administrator and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (DRRMO) Lt. Col. Darwin Sacramed, the province is placed for pilot testing to prepare for disasters such as landslides, flooding caused by weather disturbances, and climate change.

“Ito ay para paghandaan ang lugar natin sa panahon ng kalamidad lalo na at alam nating disaster prone ang ating probinsya,” Sacramed said.

Sacramed disclosed that the pilot areas for the project include Magapit Bridge in Lal-lo, Josefa Bridge in Peñablanca, Dummun Bridge in Gattaran, Ninoy Aquino Bridge in Tuao, and Alcala’s Pared Bridge.

According to PAGASA, eight provinces were also included in the pilot testing namely Isabela, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Oriental Mindoro, Agusan Del Norte, Agusan Del Sur and Surigao Del sur.

Automated Water-Level and Rain Monitoring Using Near-Real-Time Observation (ALeRTO) project 

ALeRTO is an early warning system developed by the Ateneo de Zamboanga University-GeoSAFER Mindanao ZAMBASULTA Program. The system makes use of the Automated Rain Gauges (ARGs) and Automated Water-Level Sensors (AWLS).

The device, in a small box, was programmed by DOST-ASTI and it uses sensors of PAGASA to provide data concerning weather disturbances, including rainfall and flood warnings.

The device determines the threshold category in each river, which is represented by the different colour warnings. Once the device determines that a particular river has reached a certain threshold, it will automatically send out alert messages via SMS to registered users, specifically to Local Government Units.

The SMS will contain the threshold interpretation, along with the rain and water level values.

Through this system, PAGASA aims for the local authorities and communities to be more prepared for possible effects brought by continuous rain events.

The data could also be viewed through the ALeRTO Website.

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