SITUATIONER

Science and Technology Sector

01-05 July 2013
ROO!"O # ENA!$E% JR#
&'ro(d)ourcing* +ill allo() citi,en)* online -artici-ation in
la(.a/ing
MANILA, Philippines - Senator Teofsto Guingona III has re-fled a
bill allowing citizens to participate in the lawa!ing process
through the use o" the internet and in"oration and
counication technolog#$
Guingona fled the Senate %ill No$ &' or the (rowdsourcing Act o"
)*+', which allows the public to contribute to the "orulation,
ipro,eent, and creation o" laws, through the use o" the
internet or other in"oration and counications s#ste$
-(rowdsourcing is an e.pression o" the belie" that despite our
geographical separation, people can still participate in national
a/airs through the borderless world o" the internet,- Guingona
said in a stateent on Thursda#$
The proposed law allows people to coent on pending bills
through eail and the internet$ It also allows the public to access
copies o" bills and easures pending be"ore the Senate and the
0ouse o" 1epresentati,es$
The proposed easure also e.tends the people2s right o"
participation to include the abilit# to reach their lawa!ers in
both 0ouses e,en during the period o" interpellation and debates$
-Laws are e.pressions o" the people2s dreas, goals and ,ision$
Thus, elected legislators do not necessaril# ha,e the onopol# o"
the processes o" deterining what policies are good "or the
nation$ A wider public participation in the legislati,e process will
ensure that the nation2s policies trul# re3ect the needs o" our
constituents,- the senator said$
S451(67 http788www$philstar$co8science-and-
technolog#8)*+'8*&8*98:;+<;=8crowdsourcing-bill-allows-
citizens-online-participation
%# Louis %acani >philstar$co? @ 5pdated Aul# 9, )*+' - +7'*p
0eather 1oreca)ting a) aid to 1ar.er)
Since it is the stor and 3ood season, we deeed it tiel# and
use"ul to discuss the weather and weather "orecasting at the
Bapihan sa Manila at the Ciaond 0otel last Monda#$ Secretar#
Mario MonteDo o" the Cepartent o" Science and Technolog#
>C4ST? and Acting Ceput# Adinistrator Eicente %$ Malano o" the
weather bureau Pagasa e.plained the cople.ities o" weather
patterns and go,ernent e/orts to ipro,e weather "orecasting$
To illustrate the iportance o" the weather and etereologists,
recall that C-Ca#, the in,asion o" Norand#, the biggest in
histor#, was originall# scheduled on Aune 9, +:99, but was
postponed$ The reasonF %ad weather o,er the 6nglish (hannel,
which would ha,e wrought ha,oc on the thousands o" in,asion
,essels and ade the hundreds o" thousands o" soldiers who
would stor the beaches seasic!$
Gen$ Cwight 6isenhower put the "ate o" 4peration 4,erlord in the
hands o" his etereologists$ Their "orecast was that there would
be a hole o" "air weather on Aune ;, and so the in,asion was reset
"or Aune ;$ The rest is histor#$
In the Philippines, the people ost a/ected b# the weather are
the "arers, and not the cit# "ol! who ha,e to wallow in 3oods
e,er# tie it rains$ The success or "ailure o" a "arerGs crop
depends on the weather$ I" there is not enough water, the pala#
crops wither and die$ I" there is too uch rain, the ,egetables rot$
I" there is a t#phoon when the pala# is ripe and read# "or har,est,
the grains are soa!ed in water and either rot or de,elop sprouts$
It is the sae thing with other crops$ I" a drought o,erta!es a
corn crop, the plants die$ I" hea,# rain or strong winds bu/et a
blossoing ango orchard, the tin# blossos are blown awa#$ I"
"rost o,erta!es ,egetables in %enguet, the "arers lose the entire
crop$
That is wh# the "arer ust be weather-sa,,#$ %ecause o" global
waring and changing weather patterns, the Hilipino "arer can
no longer rel# on the traditional ties o" planting and har,esting$
That is where weather "orecasting will be ,er# use"ul$
Pagasa can tell the whether there will be enough rain in the
coing wee!s and onths, which is a good tie to plant rice$
6,en i" there is hea,# rain, rice "arers should re"rain "ro
planting i" Pagasa "orecasts a sudden dr# spell in the near "uture,
which eans the pala# seedlings will perish$
I" Pagasa "orecasts a wet or stor# spell when the pala# crops
are ripe "or har,esting, the "arers should tie their planting to
a,oid that wet spell so that the ripe pala# will not rot$ Pagasa,
with its new supercoputers, can now pro,ide "arers this tiel#
in"oration, according to MonteDo and Malano$
2 2
5n"ortunatel#, MonteDo said, Hilipino "arers are hard-headed and
re"use to learn new things$ IM# "ather and # grand"athers ha,e
been doing this "or generations$ ConGt tell e how to grow crops$
0ow long ha,e #ou been growing cropsFJ the# would sa#$
Thus, rice "arers start plowing and planting with the frst rains
o" Aune because that is what the# ha,e learned "ro their
grand"athers$ 4ur "arers traditionall# belie,e that a"ter the
Isi#a-si#a,J or nine da#s and nine nights o" continuous rain,
the rain# season begins$
That is not true an#ore$ Note that Pagasa declared that the
rain# season has oKciall# started e,en without the si#a-si#a$
Leather patterns ha,e changed because o" cliate change$
Secretar# MonteDoGs ad,ice to the "arers is "or the to consult
their local weatheren and tie their plantings according to the
weather outloo!$ 0e said that to aid "arers, the C4ST and
Pagasa are disseinating weather "orecasts through local
etereologists$
Leather patterns di/er "ro region to region, so it is iportant
that each region be assigned a weather "orecaster, MonteDo said$
It a# be raining hard in the Eisa#as but there is a drought in
Northern Luzon at the sae tie$ (liate change has thrown all
pre,ious weather !nowledge and assuptions out o" !ilter$
(an Pagasa tell the "arer when is the best tie to plant
di/erent cropsF the two scientists were as!ed$
Answer7 IMes, it can$J
(an it tell the Cepartent o" 6ducation and the schools when it
will rain hard and 3ood the streets so that classes can be
suspended earl# enoughF
Answer7 I1ains, #es, 3oods, no$J Hloods are caused b# an#
"actors$ I" the drainage s#ste is in good wor!ing order, water
will Nuic!l# drain awa# e,en with a hea,# rain$ %ut i" the drainage
s#ste is clogged, e,en a light rain can cause a 3ood$
Much o" the water that 3oods Metro Manila coes "ro the runo/
"ro the denuded ountains in the east$ Cenudation is no longer
caused b# logging concessionaires >there are no ore logs to cut?
but b# charcoal a!ers who cut e,en the sall trees$ There is a
big deand "or charcoal because o" all the barbecue stands and
Iihaw-ihawJ restaurants$ The C4ST has ade a odel o" a
achine that can copress into charcoal bric!s agricultural
wastes such as pala# hus!s, coconut fber, sugarcane stal!s, ha#
and cogon, lea,es and twigs, etc$ Lh# not distribute these
achines in the countr#side so that charcoal a!ers donGt ha,e
to cut trees and still suppl# the barbecue stands with plent# o"
charcoalF That will also gi,e the "arers additional incoe$
Answer7 ILe are going to do that$J
LhenF
Answer7 ISoon$J
S451(67 http788opinion$inNuirer$net8<<&''8weather-"orecasting-
3 3
as-aid-to-"arers
2y Neal 3# 'ru,-A) I See It
Philippine Cail# InNuirer
++7'& p @ Tuesda#, Aul# )nd, )*+
OST to )trengthen (eather 1oreca)ting to +ene4t
1ar.er)
Planting and har,esting will soon be easier "or local "arers, e,en
in the "ace o" cliate change, with the ad,ent o" ore reliable
and technologicall# ad,anced weather "orecasting ethods$
These high-ipact solutions coe in the "or o" the Cepartent
o" Science and Technolog#Gs >C4ST? newl# acNuired
supercoputer copleented with the latest weather odeling
so"tware$
This de,elopent was re,ealed b# C4ST Secretar# Mario G$
MonteDo during the recent Bapihan sa Ciaond 0otel in 1o.as
%oule,ard, Manila$
IThe frst signifcant de,elopent is that we alread# ha,e a
supercoputer which will be operational this "ourth Nuarter o"
this #ear$ Lith this t#pe o" "acilit#, we will be able to use
ad,anced weather odeling so"tware that will not onl# enhance
weather predictions "ro three da#s to si. da#s, but it could also
be ore accurate, it could be area specifc, and what we are
wor!ing on is to ha,e a seasonal weather outloo! on specifc
areas "or three to si. onths to help our "arers,J said Secretar#
MonteDo$
The three- to si.-onth weather proDections, to be issued b#
C4STGs Philippine Atospheric, Geoph#sical, and Astronoical
Ser,ice Adinistration >C4ST-PAGASA?, will be on top o" its
wee!l# weather "orecasts$ This will pro,ide "arers with
in"oration on the aount o" rain"all on specifc areas within the
ne.t three to si. onths$
Also, these top-3ight technologies will enable PAGASA weather
scientists to coe up with integrated weather pattern in"oration
specifcall# to guide "arers on the best tie to plant and
har,est crops, thus greatl# aiding the with their "aring-related
decisions and acti,ities$
These groundbrea!ing de,elopents, said Sec$ MonteDo, will ta!e
o/ b# )*+9 with the supercoputerGs initial operation on the
"ourth Nuarter o" )*+'$
4 4
Agricultural lo))e) cau)ed +y cli.ate change
6rratic weather conditions, an a"ter-e/ect o" global cliate
change, ha,e a/ected an# "arers resulting in billions worth o"
daaged agricultural products annuall#$
In )*+) alone, an estiated total o" Php'* billion worth o"
agricultural products were lost in the a"terath o" T#phoon %opha
>Pablo?$ The Cepartent o" Agriculture reported that an
estiated Php+:& illion worth o" rice crops were daaged due
to the t#phoon$
1ice, a staple "ood in the countr#, is norall# grown "or three to
si. onths depending on the rice ,ariet#, and reNuires an
a,erage o" ),*** liters o" water per !ilo o" rice "or its growth$
The Philippines ran!s =th aong the worldGs rice producers$ In
)**&, the countr# produced an a,erage o" '$= tons per hectare o"
rice, ore than what Thailand produces$
S451(67 http788www$dost$go,$ph8
Lritten b# Ao# M$ Lazcano, SOT Media Ser,ice, C4ST-STII
Hrida#, *< Aul# )*+' **7**
OST )er5ice la+) to (heel u- tran)-o indu)try
The recent celebration o" the Metals and 6ngineering Lee!
wheeled-in two new autooti,e-related ser,ice centers b# the
Metals Industr# 1esearch and Ce,elopent (enter >MI1C(? o" the
Cepartent o" Science and Technolog#$ (alled the Hinite 6leent
Anal#sis Cesign (enter and the Cie and Mold Solution (enter, the
"acilities are aong the transportation solutions initiated b# C4ST
to help accelerate the countr#Gs transportation industr#$
According to C4ST-MI1C(, the autooti,e centers are now being
de,eloped at the C4ST (ople. in Taguig (it#, and will be "ull#
ipleented b# ne.t #ear$
I4ur ad,anced transport solutions are not e.actl# roc!et science
as, when one loo!s closel#, the# are actuall# straight"orward
engineering and etalwor!ing applications$ Le want to
o,ercoe the thought barrier that Hilipinos cannot produce this
P!ind o" transportationQ, as we ha,e the capabilities and !now-
how to Pper"ectQ the,J said Secretar# MonteDo$
The Hinite 6leent Anal#sis Cesign (enter will ser,e as the
go,ernentGs ain laborator# "or the upgrading o" custoized
local road ,ehicles >(L1Es? such as tric#cles, Deepne#s, and ini
buses, through testing, sa"et# and structural design
5 5
ipro,eent$ The center also ais to address en,ironental
sa"et# aspect o" (L1EGs as well as de,elop e.pertise in fnite
eleent anal#sis or H6A, which re"ers to the odeling o" products
and s#stes in a ,irtual en,ironent, "or the purpose o" fnding
and sol,ing potential or e.isting structural or per"orance issues$
Meanwhile, the Cie and Mold Solution (enter ais to sustain local
anpower in die and old anu"acturing and design b#
pro,iding continual training$ Lith these obDecti,es cobined
with the ad,anced "acilities and technologies housed inside, the
center is e.pected to augent the producti,it# o" the tool and die
industr# and a!e the Philippines establish a stronger "ooting in
the global scene$ At present, Aapan, (hina, and South Borea are
global leaders in the tool and die anu"acturing sector$
Metro Manila Ce,elopent Authorit# >MMCA? (hair Hrancis
Tolentino coended C4ST "or its transportation technolog#
progra$ IC4ST deser,es the highest coendation$ 4ur
current etro trains ha,e a capacit# o" '**,*** but are now
ser,icing &**,*** people dail#$ And gi,en the uncontrolled
proli"eration o" ,ehicles despite our nuber coding schees,
clearl#, the solution here is better ass transportation,J he
reiterated$
6a)) tran)-ortation )olution)
C4ST-MI1C( also presented three other new locall# de,eloped
trains R road train, railroad train, and the autoated guidewa#
transit s#ste >AGT?, which will be highlighted in a booth during
the upcoing )*+' National Science and Technolog# Lee!
>NSTL? to be held Aul# )'-)& at the SMS (on,ention (enter, SM
Mall o" Asia in Pasa# (it#$
Mounted annuall# b# C4ST, NSTL )*+' ais to showcase the
,arious high-ipact SOT-based solutions cra"ted b# the
Cepartent "or the countr#Gs ost pressing probles T "ro
transportation and other social ser,ices, to cliate change, "ood
securit#, industr# copetiti,eness, and po,ert# alle,iation$
Hor ore in"oration about the )*+' NSTL as well as C4ST
technologies, please contact Public A/airs 5nit o" the Science and
Technolog# In"oration Institute at >*)? ='&-)*&+ local )+9)$
S451(67 http788www$dost$go,$ph8
Lritten b# George 1obert Ealencia III, SOT Media Ser,ice, C4ST-
STII
Lednesda#, *' Aul# )*+' *<7+9
6 6
OST )er5ice la+) to (heel u- tran)-o indu)try
The recent celebration o" the Metals and 6ngineering Lee!
wheeled-in two new autooti,e-related ser,ice centers b# the
Metals Industr# 1esearch and Ce,elopent (enter >MI1C(? o" the
Cepartent o" Science and Technolog#$ (alled the Hinite 6leent
Anal#sis Cesign (enter and the Cie and Mold Solution (enter, the
"acilities are aong the transportation solutions initiated b# C4ST
to help accelerate the countr#Gs transportation industr#$
According to C4ST-MI1C(, the autooti,e centers are now being
de,eloped at the C4ST (ople. in Taguig (it#, and will be "ull#
ipleented b# ne.t #ear$
I4ur ad,anced transport solutions are not e.actl# roc!et science
as, when one loo!s closel#, the# are actuall# straight"orward
engineering and etalwor!ing applications$ Le want to
o,ercoe the thought barrier that Hilipinos cannot produce this
P!ind o" transportationQ, as we ha,e the capabilities and !now-
how to Pper"ectQ the,J said Secretar# MonteDo$
The Hinite 6leent Anal#sis Cesign (enter will ser,e as the
go,ernentGs ain laborator# "or the upgrading o" custoized
local road ,ehicles >(L1Es? such as tric#cles, Deepne#s, and ini
buses, through testing, sa"et# and structural design
ipro,eent$ The center also ais to address en,ironental
sa"et# aspect o" (L1EGs as well as de,elop e.pertise in fnite
eleent anal#sis or H6A, which re"ers to the odeling o" products
and s#stes in a ,irtual en,ironent, "or the purpose o" fnding
and sol,ing potential or e.isting structural or per"orance issues$
Meanwhile, the Cie and Mold Solution (enter ais to sustain local
anpower in die and old anu"acturing and design b#
pro,iding continual training$ Lith these obDecti,es cobined
with the ad,anced "acilities and technologies housed inside, the
center is e.pected to augent the producti,it# o" the tool and die
industr# and a!e the Philippines establish a stronger "ooting in
the global scene$ At present, Aapan, (hina, and South Borea are
global leaders in the tool and die anu"acturing sector$
Metro Manila Ce,elopent Authorit# >MMCA? (hair Hrancis
Tolentino coended C4ST "or its transportation technolog#
progra$ IC4ST deser,es the highest coendation$ 4ur
current etro trains ha,e a capacit# o" '**,*** but are now
ser,icing &**,*** people dail#$ And gi,en the uncontrolled
proli"eration o" ,ehicles despite our nuber coding schees,
clearl#, the solution here is better ass transportation,J he
reiterated$
7 7
6a)) tran)-ortation )olution)
C4ST-MI1C( also presented three other new locall# de,eloped
trains R road train, railroad train, and the autoated guidewa#
transit s#ste >AGT?, which will be highlighted in a booth during
the upcoing )*+' National Science and Technolog# Lee!
>NSTL? to be held Aul# )'-)& at the SMS (on,ention (enter, SM
Mall o" Asia in Pasa# (it#$
Mounted annuall# b# C4ST, NSTL )*+' ais to showcase the
,arious high-ipact SOT-based solutions cra"ted b# the
Cepartent "or the countr#Gs ost pressing probles T "ro
transportation and other social ser,ices, to cliate change, "ood
securit#, industr# copetiti,eness, and po,ert# alle,iation$
Hor ore in"oration about the )*+' NSTL as well as C4ST
technologies, please contact Public A/airs 5nit o" the Science and
Technolog# In"oration Institute at >*)? ='&-)*&+ local )+9)$
S451(67 http788www$dost$go,$ph8
Lritten b# George 1obert Ealencia III, SOT Media Ser,ice, C4ST-
STII
Lednesda#, *' Aul# )*+' *<7+9
8 8