MANILA — PAGASA is looking for ways to improve the country's weather forecasts and early warning systems as the Philippines remains at risk of disasters.

According to Dr. Esperanza Cayanan, the state weather bureau’s deputy administrator for research and development, PAGASA is undertaking a pilot study on impact-based forecasting and warning services in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

This approach enables anticipatory action that aims to mitigate the impact of weather-related hazards.

"I think we really need to move fast on this because of what we are experiencing right now," she told ANC's "Headstart". "I believe this is one of the improvements that we really need to implement as soon as possible."

Located along the typhoon belt in the Pacific, the Philippines sees an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually.

• Paeng death toll rises to 121, 36 missing: gov't

Last week, severe tropical storm Paeng triggered floods and landslides in the country, leaving at least 121 people dead and 103 injured. Some 3 million were affected by the storm, latest data from the country's disaster agency showed.

Damage to infrastructure was estimated at P896 million while losses from crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries reached P1.2 billion.

In the aftermath of Paeng, Cayanan admitted there is a need to improve descriptions of the possible impact of cyclones in forecast advisories.

"Maybe we need to highlight the impacts rather than the description of the rainfall," she said.

There's also a "big gap" in terms of coordination with local government units, she added.

To detect rising water levels, PAGASA is working on early flood warning systems in some parts of the country, Cayanan said.

The agency issues heavy rainfall warning every 3 hours.

• Aklan 'caught off guard' by flash foods due to Paeng - gov

Seven years since the passage of Republic Act 10692, also known as the PAGASA Modernization Act, Cayanan listed several improvements in the agency.

The weather bureau now has 102 automatic weather stations, 28 lightning detection systems, 36 high-frequency radars for coastal areas.

Cayanan said PAGASA remains understaffed and has proposed hiring for dozens of new positions.

"We have proposed for this year around 200 plus. But basically, overall for the modernization, more or less 500 to 600 positions," she added.

• PH most disaster-prone country in the world: report

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