PAGASA expands digital platforms for localised climate, weather data
High vulnerability keeps the country at the top of the World Risk Index.
The Philippines has expanded access to localised climate and weather data through interactive online platforms, enabling near real-time monitoring of rainfall and temperature, as well as forecasts for heat index and potential flood impacts.
The initiative addresses the country’s ranking as first on the World Risk Index, reflecting high exposure to earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, floods, droughts, and sea level rise, combined with low coping and adaptive capacities.
“Our vulnerability is also high. Our coping capacity is really low, as well as our adaptive capacities. That is why our country ranks first for several years already,” said Marcelino Villafuerte II, Deputy Administrator for Research and Development of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), during the GovMedia Summit 2026 at Shangri-La Makati, Manila.
PAGASA launched its first online platform in 2019, sharing observational data from meteorological stations, including rainfall, temperature, pressure, and other climate variables.
“We found out that there is an acceptance from different users of climate information. It has been utilised in several applications… mostly in sectors such as energy, transportation, agriculture, environment, health, and even in businesses,” he said.
The agency later integrated station data with remote sensing technology, satellite observations, and numerical weather prediction models to provide estimates for locations without meteorological stations.
“We also provided an online interactive map on our website. Aside from historical data, we also provided projections for what we are going to expect, such as how much warming of a particular location decades from now,” he added.
The platforms support monitoring rice crop water sufficiency and tracking rainfall during tropical cyclones such as Egay and Super Typhoon Goring. Dr. Villafuerte II also demonstrated platform navigation during the summit.
The Panahon platform, launched last year, provides observed weather from automatic and manually observed stations, radar images, and five-day hourly forecasts of heat index, rainfall, and temperature, enabling users to assess conditions at highly localised levels.
These platforms provide data to help government agencies, businesses, and communities prepare for extreme weather.
