The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will launch its BLTB (Bagyo, Lindol, Tsunami and Baha) Project, on July 23, 2013 during Expo Science 2013 in celebration of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. The launching is part of the track session on Climate Change and Disaster Mitigation during the week-long NSTW organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The project aims to do away with the technical side of natural hazards and instead provide the public with clearer, more simplified explanations so they will have a stronger grasp of these calamities and be better prepared. Part of the launch will be an audio-visual presentation, in animation, of the BLTB Project.

The launch will be followed by the Metro Manila Disaster Summit with the theme “Metro Manila: Alerto! Handa Na!” The summit’s objective is to educate local government units (LGUs) about the present and potential geohazards in their specific areas. Geologic scientists have been uncovering additional geologic risks aside from those that have been previously identified. PAGASA, together with the team behind Program NOAH - another DOST centerpiece project for disaster preparedness – will show these newly identified hazard risks via a multi-hazard map – a digital rendering of the risks that can arise from different types of calamities. With this information, LGUs and other concerned sectors can plan ahead and keep casualties at a minimum in times of disaster.

For the summit, LGU representatives, civic groups working on disaster prevention, and telecommunications sector representatives, are encouraged to attend. “The telecom sector plays a big part in disaster risk and reduction management efforts because they provide the network infrastructure for quick response,” Alan Taule of the Program NOAH explained.