“It is my hope that this memorandum of agreement (MOA) further strengthens our collaboration with the Municipality of Tuba and La Trinidad and can serve as a shining example of how shared resources and collaboration can lead to broader benefits and enhanced regional resilience.”
Thus, declared Mayor Benjamin Magalong during the MOA signing, June 23, at City Hall between the City Government of Baguio and the Municipalities of Tuba represented by Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan and La Trinidad by Mayor Romeo Salda on the Flood Early Warning , Information and Mitigation System (FEWS) project.
“On behalf of the officialdom of the City Government of Baguio, I would like to express our gratitude to the Government of Australia through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Asian Development Bank, and Ramboll for their support to the Baguio FEWS project through the ASEAN Australia Smart Cities Trust Fund (AASCTF),” he said.
The Mayor said the MOA signing event highlights the importance of collaboration and cooperation between Baguio and the two Benguet towns in the capture and sharing of crucial water level and rainfall data and in building their respective resilience against natural hazards.
“While the FEWS project is based in Baguio, the benefits are not only limited within the city’s boundaries. The data from hydro meteorological stations located in La Trinidad and Tuba play a critical role in the effectiveness of the greater flood early warning system. This data forms the backbone of flood prediction and response capabilities, enabling us to understand rainfall patterns and river water levels better,” he added.
The Mayor said that by providing precise, almost real-time information, these monitoring stations enable more accurate predictions of potential flooding incidents and in turn allow for timely warnings and responses, saving lives and property.
Moreover, the data also contributes to long-term urban planning and sustainability efforts by informing strategies and infrastructures to mitigate the impact of future flooding events, he said.
“The project is therefore also a source of crucial support for Tuba and La Trinidad by providing them with invaluable data and information that will help enhance their own flood management efforts. We also hope that our collaboration will also foster an enhanced sharing of knowledge and best practices, helping to strengthen the overall resilience and collective capacity of our region to combat climate change and its related challenges,” the Mayor stressed.
He is hoping that the MOA will further strengthen the city’s collaboration with Tuba and La Trinidad and can serve as a “shining example of how shared resources and collaboration can lead to broader benefits and enhanced regional resilience.”
The city thru the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) under Antonette Anaban is a recipient of the project with a grant from the AASCTF that has three outputs: An established and operational smart FEWS; real-time data capture system established in four river basins in the Summer Capital; and prepared flood mitigation action plan.
The AASCTF Team is currently in the city as part of the continuing capacity building activities with members of the city government’s FEWS core team and peer group for the project.
On June 20, on-the-job training activities kicked off with an overview session with the Baguio FEWS Operations and Maintenance team that focused on the city’s hydrology and flood risk, data requirements and challenges in flood forecasting, and the FEWS framework.
The AASCTF team observed and tested the Baguio team’s understanding of important concepts shared during the training as they visited a number of hydrometeorological stations around the Summer Capital.**Gaby B. Keith
