HEAVY rains from tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon, or habagat, swamped Luzon in July, forcing the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) to issue a flurry of rainfall alerts and weather advisories. But are Filipinos able to make sense of them?
What’s happening: The rainy season brings tropical cyclones and prolonged downpours. Metro Manila, Northern and Central Luzon, and parts of Western Visayas were hit hard this year.
- Pagasa’s Weather and Flood Forecasting Center issues two types of alerts: weather advisories and heavy rainfall warnings. Both use the yellow-orange-red color-coded system.
- In July, the Varsitarian published an explainer on Pagasa’s rainfall warnings and weather advisories.
Why it matters: Followers of Pagasa’s social media pages and those who monitor weather news said they were unsure of how to keep track of rainfall alerts and weather advisories, especially since these are posted on different Facebook pages.
- Hans Peralta, a dorm resident near UST: “I’m not really aware of the specific differences because they both sound like they’re communicating the same thing in the end.”
- Red Ruiz, a junior marketing management student: “(There was a time) I wasn’t expecting the weather and the flooding to escalate so severely, and it left me unprepared, especially when it comes to stocking up food in my dorm.”
Pagasa’s take: Weather Specialist John Manalo said rainfall advisories are valid for three hours, while heavy rainfall warnings can last up to six hours. He admitted public confusion is common.
- “Kaya po kapag nag-live reporting po tayo, as much as possible inaayos natin, nire-restructure natin ‘yong sentence natin para maitama o mas maging clear sa kanila ‘yong difference nu’ng weather advisory at ‘yong heavy rainfall warning,” Manalo told the Varsitarian.
- According to Pagasa, heavy rainfall warnings are divided into yellow (“be alert”), orange (“be prepared”), and red (“take action”).
- Weather advisories use the same colors to correspond to rainfall volumes: 50–100 mm (yellow), 100–200 mm (orange), over 200 mm (red).
- Pagasa Weather Specialist Veronica Torres said the bureau has moved from text-only bulletins to color-coded rainfall maps and side-by-side visuals explaining advisories versus warnings. Updates are also distributed via radio, Facebook, YouTube, and media outlets.
- Senior forecaster Julie Nimes said alerts are based on real-time cloud monitoring and sent in advance to local governments to guide evacuations or class suspensions.
- Manalo said any changes to the color-coding system must be “studied and accepted by end users.”
Expert view: Mahar Lagmay, director of UP’s Project NOAH or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards: “We need the rainfall record. The records of rainfall are archived by the Weather Bureau, so we project that with climate change scenarios, and then convert that into flooding. The rain is not the hazard—the floods are the ones that kill.”
- While scientists can interpret bulletins easily, the challenge is reaching the average Filipino, Lagmay said.
- “Maybe it’s not just science communication. Maybe it’s through music, through the arts, even games, different ways so people can understand. Because right now, I know that many don’t. I hear it, I see it on social media,” he said.
Between the lines: Prof. Jeremaiah Opiniano, chair of the UST Department of Journalism, said the public also has a responsibility to keep abreast with weather information.
- “I think no matter how much Pagasa, the national government, or local government tries to inform [the public] ahead, there will always be fits of either uninformed citizens or less-informed geographic communities.”
- “The information is even days ahead. So we citizens have a responsibility to know these things, ask relevant community members what needs to be prepared for, and ensure our and our family’s safety.” With reports from Rev E. Dela Cruz, Chloe Elysse B. Ibañez, and Regina Louise DLC. Sanota
