‘No lack of Pinoy meteorologists’

MANILA, Philippines - A professor of the University of the Philippines maintained that there is no shortage of meteorologists in the country amid reports that a number of weather forecasters have resigned to work abroad.

In an interview with The STAR, Rene Rollon, director of the UP Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM), denied claims that there are no climate scientists in the country to fill posts at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA).

“You don’t need to have a degree in meteorology to work in PAGASA,” Rollon said, noting that most weathermen in the agency have undergraduate degrees in other fields such as engineering or scientific courses.

A check on the job opportunities page of PAGASA also showed that requirements for weather specialists include a bachelor’s degree in engineering, natural sciences or a degree with six units of physics and mathematics up to integrated calculus.

Applicants are also required to have a meteorological training course, which is offered by PAGASA, or at least 900 hours of training in a related discipline.

There is no training requirement for those who have graduate degrees in meteorology.

Rollon said most of the students in the master’s program in meteorology of IESM are currently employed at the weather bureau and “some will take their master’s degree in meteorology once they are already employed in PAGASA.”

‘No market, low interest’

Rollon, however, admitted that few students are actually enrolled in the master’s program in meteorology. Less than 10 people – most of them PAGASA employees and foreign students – were accepted this year and yet IESM can accommodate as many as 20 new students every year.

He said the low number of enrollees can be attributed to the lack of job opportunities for meteorology graduates in the country. This lack of opportunity is also part of the reason why IESM is hesitant to offer an undergraduate degree in meteorology.

“What if there’s no vacant position in PAGASA? Where will you go? That’s the reason why most of our students are currently employed in PAGASA,” Rollon said.

“PAGASA will not be able to accommodate 30 meteorology graduates every year,” he added.

For this reason, the IESM is looking into the possibility of developing an undergraduate program that will integrate meteorology and another scientific field to ensure that the graduates will have several career options, Rollon said.

He also urged the government to increase the market for meteorology graduates to entice students to enroll in the courses.

“Maybe the government can assign forecasters in every local government unit to assist in disaster risk reduction, agro-meteorology and hydro-meteorology… Once PAGASA is not just the sole market for meteorology graduates, I think we will have more students,” Rollon said.

Last year, PAGASA launched Project Consortium for Meteorology Education and Training that seeks to develop undergraduate meteorology courses in several schools in the country.

GMA News Online reported that project leaders said the program seeks to address the gap between the supply and demand of meteorologists in the country.

But Rollon disputed the supposed shortage, saying there are enough people in the country who have the skills to work in the weather bureau.

High-profile resignations

Rollon also observed that few people are actually leaving PAGASA and that the resignations are only interpreted as an exodus because these involve top officials.

It was reported yesterday that at least 22 weather forecasters left PAGASA from 2005 to 2011. Among those who resigned to work abroad are former administrator Prisco Nilo and Nathaniel Cruz, who is now back in the Philippines and is working as a resident meteorologist of GMA Network.

President Aquino reportedly sacked Nilo after PAGASA failed to predict that Typhoon Basyang would hit Metro Manila in 2010.

Government officials also recently confirmed that PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando has extended his leave. It is believed that Servando, who is reportedly teaching at a university in Qatar, might follow other weathermen who left the agency to work abroad.

Rollon said those who left PAGASA have no choice but to work abroad because they don’t have much option here in the Philippines. They may teach at the IESM, but some decided not to proceed as the salary offered by UP is lower than their salaries in PAGASA.

The UP professor also admitted that PAGASA lost “experienced” meteorologists in the persons of Nilo and Cruz, but he reiterated that there are people who can replace them.

Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo also said in an ABS-CBN news report that there are about 50 people who have already signed up to join PAGASA.

‘Not just money’

Rollon said some people leave PAGASA not just because of monetary reasons, but also because of the responsibilities that come with the position.

For instance, an administrator receives a “decent” salary that is competitive enough considering the economic situation in the country. But the pressure that comes with the responsibility of working for the weather bureau may have contributed in the decision of some weathermen to leave PAGASA.

“Once something happens, the blame is always on PAGASA,” Rollon said, citing cases of landslides, floods and late class suspensions.

He also said the government should “de-load” the expectations from PAGASA, considering that there are other agencies such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the local government units.