Not enough warnings about Kristine? PAGASA says it’s enhancing services

State weather bureau PAGASA on Monday said the agency is doing its best to improve its services following Senator Imee Marcos’ remarks on the supposed lack of warnings about Tropical Cyclone Kristine.

In a press conference, PAGASA deputy administrator for research and development Marcelino Villafuerte II said the bureau takes Marcos’ remarks as “constructive criticism.”

“For comments like those, nagpapasalamat kami (we are grateful). We consider them as constructive criticism and we are doing our best to further enhance our services and provide better information to the public. But we are currently addressing that,” Villafuerte said.

However, Villafuerte noted that PAGASA has been including more warnings in the past few months such as the tropical cyclone threat potential forecast.

“As early as two weeks before pa mangyari 'yung event, we already inform the public that there is a potential, for example, that a tropical cyclone could enter or develop within the Philippine area of responsibility,” he said.

(As early as two weeks before an event occurs, we already inform the public that there is a potential, for example, that a tropical cyclone could enter or develop within the Philippine area of responsibility.)

Aside from this, PAGASA also included a weather advisory for rainfall. 

“Yung ating weather advisory pertaining nga doon sa ulan na maaring dulot ng, halimbawa, kapag may bagyo, even though walang signals sa isang lugar ay merong possibility na makaranas sila ng malakas na ulan,” Villafuerte said.

(Our weather advisory gives forecasts on rainfall in an area even though there is no wind signal raised over there during a tropical cyclone.)

“Ito po ay ini-include natin sa ating weather forecast 'yung mga impormasyon na 'yun, aling mga lugar ang maaaring makaranas ng malakas na pag-ulan at maaaring makadulot ng pagbaha o pagguho ng lupa sa kanilang mga lugar,” he added.

(We are including that information in our weather forecast, which areas may experience heavy rains and may cause flooding or landslides.)

On Sunday, Senator Marcos blamed the number of fatalities caused by Kristine (international name: Trami) on the supposed lack of prompt warnings from PAGASA.

“Kung sana nasabihan nang maayos ng PAGASA ang LGU [local government unit] na gano’n kalakas ang ulan, sana’y nakalikas nang maaga at ‘di namatay ang napakarami,” she said in a statement.

(If PAGASA had properly informed the LGUs that the rains would be that strong, then evacuations could have been made earlier and so many deaths would have been avoided.)

“May sapat na pondo naman tayo, ngunit bakit sa tuwing may bagyo ay tila kulang ang mga abiso? Anong nangyari? Nagtaas pa ang badyet nila sa 2025, aba’y dapat hindi na mauulit ang ganitong sitwasyon,” she added.

(We have enough funds, but why is it that every time there is a storm it seems as though there are not enough warnings? What happened? Their budget was even increased for 2025, and this situation should not happen again.)

Due to Kristine and Leon’s onslaught, a total of 150 people were killed, 20 people were reported missing, and 143 were reported injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as of Monday.—AOL, GMA Integrated News