SMS weather alert service for typhoons, floods, climate updates launched

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s weather bureau has partnered with Smart Communications Inc. to provide the public with timely weather alerts and updates through SMS.

Smart subscribers would be able to receive announcements and advisories from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on flood situations, rainfall and typhoon alerts.

The project, dubbed Pagasa Infoboard, was launched yesterday.

Typhoon updates include affected areas and typhoon signals.

Flood updates include flooded areas and the dams that are releasing water.

Climate update would include outlook on El Niño and La Niña phenomena, while general information would cover weather forecast, sunrise, sunset and daily temperature.

To receive announcements and advisories from Pagasa, Smart subscribers have to initially register for a specific type of update. To register, text ULAN<space>REG<space>NAME/ADDRESS/AGE and send to 717 (ULAN) or 717 (8526).

To subscribe, text ULAN<space>PUSH <space>ON send to 717 ULAN.

To unsubscribe, text ULAN<space>PUSH <space>OFF send to 717 ULAN.

Keywords for downloading information on flood updates are BAHA<space>INFO<space> ADVISORY; for weather ULAN<space>INFO <space>ADVISORY or BAGYO<space> INFO<space>ADVISORY; and for general information GENERAL<space>INFO<space> PAGASA.

After typing the keywords, send to 7008526.

“I hope that through this project we will widen the coverage of dissemination, especially of typhoon bulletins all over the country,” Pagasa director Prisco Nilo said in a press conference.

“It will be very useful not only for the shipping and airline companies and other sectors but for the general public because people can make individual decisions whether to travel by sea or air,” he said.

Perry Bayani, head of Smart’s wireless consumer sales and business development group, said Pagasa, being the sole provider of all weather-related information, would have control of the system.

“Pagasa through its Internet connection can access the system. They will set the frequency and schedule of sending or receiving text,” Bayani said.

Mike Bulan, Smart’s solutions consultant, said this service costs P1 per message received. He said text message received would be charged from the subscriber’s available airtime and not from free-text service.

Nilo said the project was conceptualized following the sea tragedy involving the M/V Princess of the Stars, which capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon on June 21 at the height of typhoon “Frank.”

There were more than 800 people on board the vessel. More than 200 confirmed dead and about 515 remain missing.

Sulpicio had sued Pagasa for allegedly providing inaccurate weather reports, which led to the capsizing of the vessel. The case was dismissed by the Manila Regional Trial Court after the shipping company failed to show proof of its allegation.