DEPUTY Majority Leader and Ang Probinsyano party-list Rep. Alfred de los Santos is planning to introduce a bill that would provide incentives for undergraduate and graduate students to enroll in meteorologyrelated courses. This is because the country is prone to natural disasters that result in millions of pesos worth of property and crop damage.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has lost a few of its professionals to other, more favorable locations, resulting in an urgent need for a large number of new employees.

“Pagasa’s personnel shortage problem is a supply chain issue. Most high school students who are inclined toward science and math, and there are not many of them, usually choose to become doctors, engineers, accountants, geologists, chemists, physicists, and sometimes, lawyers,” de los Santos said.

“We need to convince more students to choose meteorology and earth sciences for their courses in college and their careers,” he added.

De los Santos also emphasized the necessity for weather experts in local governments so that they could be better prepared for storms, monsoons, tornadoes, and storm surges. However, experts who could provide mayors and governors with reasonable information when faced with natural disasters are not always present.

“One quick way for Pagasa to have new weather specialists is to convince those who are already in science programs in college to switch to meteorology,” de los Santos said.

Four state universities have meteorology programs: Mariano Marcos State University in Batac, Ilocos Norte; Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte; Central Luzon State University in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija; and Bicol University in Legazpi, Albay.