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Moses tablet unveiled for disaster preparedness

Thursday, August 01, 2013 03:19 AM    Views : 2044by:S&T Media Service

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HE Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), has come up with a tablet device aptly called Moses (Mobile Operational System for Emergency Services).

Moses was launched on July 23, the opening day of the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week, dubbed 2013 Expo Science, in Pasay City.

Moses is a computer tablet capable of receiving real-time weather and flood information reports from the DOST's Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and Project Noah.

The accurate information can be accessed by local officials, down to the barangay level, in order to aid them in their decision-making to prevent the loss of life and property.

The DOST aims to provide the 42,028 barangays with this tablets. For the pilot test, 1,000 units will be distributed to different barangays in Metro Manila.

The 8-inch mobile tablet is designed locally with assembled chipset and circuit boards to ensure the availability of spare parts as well as service support. It has a dual SIM function, television and radio component, and is packaged in a rugged shell with a long-life battery that can last up to three days.

Moses also provides Doppler radar sensor data, water-level sensor data and measurements culled from gauges strategically located in different high-risk areas.

Also available in the tablet is a hazard map that is updated in real time.

Disaster preparedness as easy as ABC

DISASTER preparedness may now be as easy as ABC. This is the goal of Bagyo, Lindol, Tsunami and Baha (BLTB) Project of the DOST-Pagasa.

BLTB was launched at the opening of Expo Science 2013. The launching was part of a summit on disaster mitigation and early-warning systems with the theme "Metro Manila: Alerto! Handa Na!"

BLTB aims to disseminate clearer, easy-to-understand information about typhoons, earthquakes, tidal waves or tsunamis and floods by doing away with the technical terms and instead use popular or layman's terms when explaining to the public.

Pagasa believes that by doing so, people will better understand these natural calamities and will be informed and prepared when disaster strikes.

An audio-visual presentation of the BLTB Project, featuring video clips and photos of the devastating effects of natural disasters, reminded the audience on the ill-effects of disasters.

Speakers Romeo Fajardo, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, as well as Pagasa officials, led by Dr. Flaviana Hilario, acting deputy administrator for research and development; Roy Badillo, assistant weather services chief of the Hydrometeorology Division; and Thelma Cinco, assistant weather services chief of the Climatology and Agrometeorology Division, explained the mechanics of the project.

The BLTB Project is part of Pagasa's greater campaign against natural disasters, which continue to wreak havoc on the Philippines, especially during the rainy season. Every year the country is pummeled by around 20 typhoons. This scenario is even made worse by the effects of climate change.

S&T Media Service


In Photo: (From left) Science Undersecretary Fortunato de la Peņa, Science Secretary Mario Montejo, Sen. Loren Legarda and National Academy of Science and Technology President William Padolina open the Expo Science 2013 as part of the 2013 National Science and Technology Week celebration in Pasay City this past week. (Alysa Salen)

source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/features/science/16994-moses-tablet-unveiled-for-disaster-preparedness

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