According to PAGASA director Dr. Prisco Nilo, what the bureau has right now is an SMS-alert system that sends typhoon alerts to governors, city mayors, and other key local government unit heads.
Called 'Text a Weather', the new PAGASA project will allow users SMS access to weather forecasts or typhoon signals in any area in the country by keying in the area's zip code.
Described by the PAGASA chief as an 'interactive climate and weather information', the system is designed to deliver real-time weather information.
'The latest real-time typhoon information and updates will then be easily available to Filipinos who want to know the weather condition in their area or in any other area in the country,' Nilo said.
'This project, however, is still under development, but we hope to deploy this by early next year,' he added. Once the system is developed, PAGASA will soon be in talks with mobile operators about possible partnerships.
He also hinted at a similar SMS system that would correspond to the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) developed by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
REDAS provides assessment of the extent of damage brought about by a typhoon or earthquake damages, allowing authorities to issue appropriate warning signals early on. Local government units are being trained on how to use the software.
'We have yet to have talks about the possibility of implementing a similar system but we could probably target to have one in place by next year,' he said.