The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Republic of Korea are exploring collaboration on the use of communication satellites to monitor and protect the environment in the Philippines similar to the model being used in Korea.
Korea is already using two systems for real-time monitoring of the environmental and weather conditions through satellite imagery and meteorological stations, according to Korean National Assembly Representative JO Myung-hee during her recent visit to the Philippines.
The visit to the DENR last July 13 was a pivotal meeting to introduce state-of-the-art technologies for the collection of data to monitor the environmental conditions on the ground.
In a news release, DENR-Foreign Assisted and Special Services (FASPS) Director Dr. Al O. Orolfo acknowledged satellite technologies and high-resolution images significant role in the management and protection of natural resources and the environment.
Orolfo and other DENR senior officials, namely, Lawyer Ernesto D. Adobo Jr., former Officer-in-Charge (OIC), DENR, and Maria Elena A. Morallos-Manila, Director of the Knowledge and Information Systems Service (KISS) during her visit, welcomed JO Myung-hee.
Present also in the meeting is Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Philippines Office Assistant Country Director Kim Younlee.
There are two ongoing KOICA-funded projects with the DENR.
One is the Establishment of an Integrated Water Resources Management and Information System for the Pampanga River Basin Phase 2 (IWRMIS II) implemented by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
The other project is the Enhancement of Marine Litter Management in Manila Bay (EMLM) to be spearheaded by the Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO).
Representative JO Myung-hee is looking forward to this collaboration as well with other Philippine government agencies such as the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and Pagasa.
At present, the Philippines’s capability to monitor ground and surface conditions are through local weather stations of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and the Geographic Information System (GIS) which generates analyses dependent on a particular location or coordinates on the ground.
The Korean technologies will strengthen Philippines’ capabilities the use of COMSAT data generated through orbital satellites, which provide high-resolution images of the terrains.
Representative JO Myung-hee is Korea’s first doctorate degree holder in the Remote Sensing Area and is recognized for her contribution to the development of talent and advanced technology in the field of satellite images and geospatial data.