Private weather information provider WeatherPhilippines Foundation Inc. ended 2017 with significant improvement in the quantity and quality of its weather reports through the help of 826 automated weather stations deployed nationwide.
The foundation intensified its “Building a #WeatherWiser Nation” campaign by regularly issuing bulletins—a total of 982 covering 16 typhoons in 2017—and providing weather trainings to close to 1,800 people.
In line with efforts to improve its forecasting capability, the foundation also shifted to a multi-model forecast from the previous global forecast system. For the July to December 2017 period, the accuracy of forecasts for a 24-hour rainfall period improved from 73 percent to 84 percent.
As part of its weather awareness campaign, WeatherPhilippines also teamed up with University of Asia & Pacific to support the latter’s freshman National Service Training Program course syllabus by offering eight weather education sessions in June and September 2017.
WeatherPhilippines was also active online in 2017, thanks to a newly-revamped website (weatherph.org) and an active Facebook page (facebook.com/weatherph.org) that reached six million users with an engagement rate of over 6 percent.
A new version of their mobile application—which in 2017 was downloaded 6,164 times on Android and 6,417 on iOS devices—offered more accurate and detailed forecasts, new weather parameters, better location tagging and a more user-friendly design.
More companies committed to support the foundation’s campaigns including Aboitiz business units Therma Marine Inc., Davao Light & Power Co. Inc. and City Savings Bank, as well as Sem-Calaca Corp. and Source Telecommunications, Inc.
“The year 2017 has been very meaningful and productive, pushing WeatherPhilippines towards greater milestones. These achievements are proof that we can advance business and communities by helping build a #WeatherWiser nation,” said WeatherPhilippines general manager Dave Michael Valeriano.
WeatherPhilippines advances business and communities by helping build a #WeatherWiser nation. It is a multi-sectoral initiative that aims to provide Filipinos with a premier weather sensing and forecasting system made possible by technology, inclusive partnerships and engagement.
Founded in 2012 by the Aboitiz Foundation and UnionBank, WeatherPhilippines—through platinum sponsors Ayala Corp., ICTSI, La Filipina UyGongco, LBC, Nickel Asia, SM and Vista Land, delivers free, accurate, and localized weather information accessed through its website https://weatherph.org and free mobile application.