PAGASA color coded rainfall warning signal

In a press brief issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the Rainfall Warning System (RWS) was modified effective August 9, 2012.

The former green warning sign was changed to orange. The current color codes are now yellow, orange and red.

The initial color codes being used by the agency since June 20, 2012 were yellow, green and red.

This color scheme was adopted from the Community-based Flood Early Warning System of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) project.

According to PAGASA, yellow, orange and red are more appropriate as they are associated with awareness, preparedness and emergency, respectively.

The amount of rainfall in the infograph from rappler.com  is applicable only for Metro Manila  area. According to PAGASA, if an RWS will be used in provincial areas, system values may be different.

San Jose dB holds first municipal rescue Olympics

San Jose de Buenavista held a rescue Olympics for barangay emergency responders in culmination of the National Disaster Consciousness Month with theme “Ligtas na Bayan, Maunlad na Pamayanan.”

Fifteen barangays demonstrated their knowledge, skills and teamwork on manual carries, vehicular accident extrication, ropemanship, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and firefighting bucket relay.

Vehicular accident extrication included performance of scene assessment, patient assessment, first aid, bandaging, splinting, documentation and endorsement to treatment area.

The activity aims to highlight the knowledge and skills required to perform rescue operations and to motivate the participants to train intensively until the use of protective equipment, emergency tools, first aid and CPR procedures become second nature.

Barangay Malaiba was hailed as Best in Manual Carries, Best in Vehicular Accident Extrication, Best in Ropemanship and Best in CPR. Barangay Supa won the Best in Firefighting Bucket Relay.

Malaiba got 1st place and earned a first aid kit, a long board and a half board. Igbonglo was 2nd earning a first aid kit and a long board. Catungan-Bugarot was on 3rd place and took home a first aid kit and a half board.

The rest of the participants took home a pack of bandages and either a half board or a long board.

 

The event was made possible in cooperation with Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and members of San Jose de Buenavista Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council such as Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Health Office, Philippine National Police and Philippine Red Cross.

More pictures, click here.

San Jose dB establish water gauges in flood-prone barangays

Photos from MDRRMO San Jose dB

San Jose dB installs rain gauge in neighboring San Remegio

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of San Jose de Buenavista installed rain gauge in neighboring Municipality of San Remegio in the Province of Antique.

The rain gauge will be part of a network of rain gauges being monitored by the MDRRMO for flood early warning. The rain gauge in San Remegio is located in Brgy. Aningalan near the headwaters of Mau-it and Tipoluan rivers, major tributaries of Sibalom River.

Rain fall will be monitored by local resident of Aningalan and will be relayed to San Jose de Buenavista DRRM Office thru VHF radio.


With the rain gauge in place, San Jose de Buenavista MDRRMO hopes to gather more rainfall data associated with flooding in the Municipality and it will augment rainfall data of the automatic rain gauge installed at the Municipal Hall. 


According to Engr. Alex S. Crespo, Acting MDRRM Officer, flooding upstream (Sibalom and San Remegio) affects San Jose de Buenavista located downstream like what happened during Typhoon Frank. Early warning could save lives.

San Jose de Buenavista is located on an area which acts as a deposition area and is bisected by river systems. There are seven barangays of the Municipality identified as highly susceptible to flooding and these barangays cover approximately 78% of the agricultural land of the Municipality.

This is not the first project of San Jose de Buenavista in San Remegio. Last year, the Municipality signed agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to reforest 50-hectares forest reserve located also in Brgy Aningalan.