PRESS RELEASE

Project NOAH: The Story

In the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong in 2011,former President Benigno S. Aquino III called for a more
accurate, integrated, and responsive disaster prevention and mitigation system, especially in high-risk
areas throughout the Philippines. In response, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
scanned all available technologies and expertise to come up with a flagship program that addressed the
nations needs before, during, and after disasters.

At that time, there were three ongoing DOST-funded independent projects that related to disaster,
namely ClimateX, Weather Sensors Development, and Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for
Mitigation or DREAM. Upon the directive of then DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo, these three projects
were consolidated, and likewise three more projects were approved to form Project NOAH which had
Dr. Mahar Lagmay as executive director. These three new projects were: 1) Storm Surge (under
PAGASA), 2) Landslide, and 3) WebGIS.

These projects, working together and sharing data among themselves, became the core ofDOSTs
flagship program called the Disaster Risk Reduction/Climate Change Adaptation (DRR-CCA) which then
Secretary Montejo called the NOAH Program.

This program, with a budget of P6.4 billion, is now beefed up with 19 components, including the original
six projects plus DREAM-LiDAR, 3-D Mapping, FloodNET, Landslide Sensors Development, and Hydro-
Met Sensors Development, among others.

Among NOAH Programs missions were to undertake disaster science research and development,
advance the use of cutting edge technologies, and recommend innovative information services in
governments disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

NOAH Program had a multi-disciplinary approach in developing systems, tools, and other technologies
that could be operationalized by the government to help prevent and mitigate disasters. It also
partnered with the academe and other stakeholders to accomplish its objectives.

As a Grant-In-Aid project of the DOST, the NOAH Program, as well as its components, all had starting and
completion dates, and deliverables, among others.

The NOAH Program started in 2011 and most component projects were completed in 2015, including
Project NOAH.
Project NOAH was a success, and its popularity prompted the Department of Budget and Management
to label all succeeding DOST DRR/CCA projects as Project NOAH/NOAH Program.

Project NOAH
Project NOAH, or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, was launched in July 2012 in Marikina
City by no less than former President Aquino and former Secretary Montejo. Project NOAH was
designed to harness technologies and management services for disaster risk reduction activities offered
by the DOST through DOSTs agencies PAGASA, PHIVOLCS, and Advanced Science and Technology
Institute (DOST-ASTI) in partnership with the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences and the UP
College of Engineering.

During its course, Project NOAH under Dr. Lagmay was able to provide an early flood warning system
together with the countrys weather authority, the DOST- PAGASA. Project NOAH used and processed
data coming from PAGASA.

Project NOAH was completed in December2015 and it was expected to transfer to PAGASA all the
technologies that the project developed. PAGASA has the mandate to provide protection against
natural calamities and utilize scientific knowledge as an effective instrument to insure the safety, well-
being and economic security of all the people, and for the promotion of national progress. Therefore it
is the governments prime end-user for all technologies generated by Project NOAH and similar
initiatives. This is not to say, however, that only PAGASA can use the said technologies as these are open
to all institutions and offices that need them.

In early 2015, then Secretary Montejo created a committee through a special order that specifically
directed PAGASA and Project NOAH personnel, including Dr. Lagmay, to start the transfer of developed
data and tools to PAGASA. The start of the transfer process was again agreed upon in a meeting on
November 28, 2016 with Dr. Lagmay, DOST officials, and PAGASA.

In a statement on Project NOAH released on January 30, 2017, DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Pea
said the results are useful and should be institutionalized in regular government agencies whose
mandates cover these areas. Thus, it is not only PAGASA that can use the technologies but also other
agencies concerned with disaster risk reduction to benefit the Filipino people by saving lives and
property. This is science for the people.

Transition then extension

In 2016, Project NOAH had yet to complete the transfer to PAGASA so Dr. Lagmay was advised to
propose a transition project to facilitate the transfer of technology. Dr. Lagmay then proposed the
project called ISAIAH or the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards: Integrated Scenario-based
Assessments of Impacts and Hazards, which was approved in March 2016.

Upon the projects approval in DOST-PCIEERDs Governing Council, Dr. Lagmay was directed to transfer
to PAGASA the tools developed by the Project as one of its deliverables.This included the training of
PAGASA personnel on the new tools developed. Towards the end of project ISAIAH, Dr. Lagmay was not
able to facilitate the transfer so he made a request forextension dated Nov. 11, 2016 but received by
DOST only on December 19, 2016. The submitted documents did not include financial reports, proposed
workplan, and target activities for the extension, among other requirements and, therefore,the request
has not yet been deliberated upon.

All personnel of Project NOAH and ISAIAH are contractual staff and therefore co-terminus with the
project. However, DOST, in good faith, recognizes the importance and value of the experts trained
under Project NOAHand they should be recruited in government agencies to continue the good work
that they have been doing in the past.

A transition project under PAGASA will be able to absorb many of the Project NOAH personnel. This is in
line with the recently passed PAGASA Modernization Law. In addition, the establishment of the National
Space Agency will likewise require personnel with the skill sets of some of the NOAH personnel and they
should apply there as well.

Project NOAH has developed many tools, generated important data, and trained a new crop of disaster
scientists. The service that NOAH provides must be made a permanent fixture in mandated agencies,
and this has been the core objective of the project from the very start. Young and highly trained
scientists must also be encouraged to join government service. Holding back on the expected delivery or
even promise of technology and knowledge transfer is denying the Filipino people of better weather
forecasting and disaster risk assessment services. (S&T Media Services)

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For details, please contact:

MA. LILIBETH P. PADILLA
Information Officer III
Public Affairs Unit, Communication Resources and Production Division
DOST-STII

Mobile Nos.:
Smart - 09493039998
Sun - 09331350188
Globe - 09274322774

Email.:
bethp2460@gmail.com