A new hope for PAGASA

MANILA, Philippines - Despite low pay and few local career opportunities, 18-year-old Jehan Fe Panti still chooses to become a weather forecaster for love of country and science.

Panti is one of the 16 scholars under the Project COMET (Consortium for Meteorology Education and Training), initiated by former Agham Partylist Rep. Angelo Palmones, in partnership with four state universities. The program, which was launched last school year, aims to address the reported brain drain in the state weather bureau.

The project proponents chose the Visayas State University (VSU), Bicol University (BU), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) as these schools are located in typhoon-prone areas in the country.

This is the first time a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology is being offered in the country, which is hit by an average of 20 tropical cyclones every year, according to Cynthia Celebre, chief of the Research and Development and Training Division of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Celebre said PAGASA and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) supported the development of the curriculum for BS Meteorology.

CHED chair Patricia Licuanan said the government has identified meteorology as a priority area, given the susceptibility of the Philippines to destructive meteorological phenomena such as typhoons, monsoon rains and other weather changes.

Prior to Project COMET, only the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City offered a masteral program on meteorology.

Panti, who hails from Bicol, sees the need for more meteorologists in the country due to the exodus of seasoned forecasters for better paying jobs abroad.

Ramon Agustin, president of the Philippine Weathermen Employees Association (PWEA), said at least 20 PAGASA experts have resigned and migrated overseas over the past 10 years due to low salaries.

Recently, PAGASA administrator Nathaniel Servando and weather forecaster Ricky Fabregas resigned from the weather bureau to work in Qatar and Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively.

“Only a few are given the opportunity to take meteorology and become a scholar as well,” Panti, a former chemical engineering student from the Bicol University, says when asked what motivated her to take the course.

“I think the job is in demand now. Unlike my previous course, which is chemical engineering, I think I will have more opportunities after taking BS Meteorology,” she says.

Panti says a good background in Mathematics and Physics is important in the course.

“If not a weather forecaster at PAGASA I intend to teach in my university after graduation in March next year,” she says.

Like Panti, 21-year-old MMSU engineering student Romeo Ganal Jr. also finds the course interesting.

“I choose to take BS Meteorology because it is timely due to lack of manpower in the science of weather forecasting,” Ganal says.

“As part of the BS Met program, we are given the chance to discover the science of weather, and the atmosphere,” Ganal says.

Like Panti, he is also interested in teaching in his university after graduation.

“Maybe if given the chance I will work here (PAGASA weather forecasting). If not, there is also a probability that we will teach in our respective schools for the formal opening of the BS Met program,” he says.

The scholars, however, said the weather forecasters could not be blamed for seeking greener pastures abroad.

“Actually they are a big loss because they are our sources of (weather) information, but we cannot blame them, if only the government had provided them with higher incentives,” Ganal underscores.

“They have lots of experience (in weather forecasting) and they are more knowledgeable in the field, with that I think they deserve higher pay, I think they deserve more,” Panti says.

Professor Raquel Francisco said the reason why Meteorology is not a popular course in the country is due to the presumption that there are no career opportunities for the graduates.

“There is no assurance that they can get work in PAGASA because of the limited slots, but they are not aware of the other work opportunities. What they think is it’s only PAGASA and you cannot go abroad without experience,” Francisco says.

Francisco, a former chief of the PAGASA’s Natural Disaster Reduction Branch, said aside from PAGASA the Meteorology graduates can also work in airline companies, the academe and the military.

Francisco said there is a need for PAGASA to hire more weather personnel to man or operate its newly-acquired radars.

“I think it (the exodus of some weather forecasters) will be a problem for PAGASA as they are expanding, adding radars. When you have new radar stations you need three shifting,” she explains.

However, the professor thinks the departure of seasoned weathermen for higher pay abroad “will just be temporary.”

Celebre said the scholarship program is offered to incoming third year college students.

Celebre noted that a total of 40 scholarship slots were provided under the Project COMET. However, only 16 students qualified for the BS Meteorology program.

“It is a hard subject,” Francisco says.

“Based on the report of the teachers, they are brilliant and full of energy,” Celebre says.

Celebre said the Bicol University expressed interest in offering the program in the institution beginning next school year, since many parents were inquiring about the program.

Celebre also mentioned other opportunities awaiting the graduates, including careers in local television channels (as resident meteorologist), and research in the academe.

Former PAGASA weather division chief Nathaniel “Mang Tani” Cruz now works as resident meteorologist for GMA-7.

“They will not run out of jobs, actually the 16 scholars are still insufficient to meet the high demand for meteorology experts,” she says.

“We tell our scholars that the stipend is not what is important. We tell them that meteorology is a very noble job. Imagine how many lives your forecasts will save,” Celebre says.