Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting & Warning Center (PRBFFWC)

prffwc

PRFFWC or PRBFFWC...

The PRFFWC or PRBFFWC is an office center of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) of the Department of Science & Technology (DOST) which is tasked to monitor hydrological situation, forecast and provide flood warnings to the flood-prone areas within the Pampanga river basin and Guagua river basin systems, mainly flooding events that are due to the overflowing of rivers. The center also maintains and operate several rainfall and river gauging stations that are strategically distributed within the said basin areas.

Background Information

It is said that the Philippines is a country that has suffered the greatest number of disasters in the last century. Out of the damages caused by disasters, damage by floods occupies a large part of the total damage in the country amounting to about 5 Billion pesos (Phil.) annually (1982 figures).

The Pampanga River is one of the two major river systems draining the Central Luzon plains, which is oftentimes referred to as the rice granary of the Philippines. The area, unfortunately, suffers considerable flood damage almost every year.

The floods of August 1960, July 1962, and May 1966 are several of the destructive floods that affected the Pampanga River Basin. However, the flood that occurred in Central Luzon in July 1972 was considered as one of the most disastrous of the Philippine floods in living memory. It inflicted a total damage of about $300 Million (US) in Central Luzon area particularly in  the Pampanga River Basin. It was in the light of these sad experiences that authorities saw the need for a non-structural measure of mitigating flood loss and damages by instituting a non-structural means: a Flood Forecasting and Warning system in the major river basins.

In last quarter of 1973, a pilot Flood Forecasting and Warning System (FFWS) for Pampanga River Basin was established through technical cooperation between the Philippines and Japan Governments, taking into account the action program decided upon by the ECAFE/WMO Typhoon Committee. This FFWS proved effective during subsequent major floods that led to the establishment of a similar system covering Agno, Bicol and Cagayan River Basins in 1982.

Similar to the FFWS in the 4 major river basins in Luzon, Flood Forecasting & Warning System for Dam Operations (FFWSDO) in 3 of these basins (Pampanga, Agno, & Cagayan) was conceived and finally started in 1983. This was in the light of the unprecedented flooding due to the release of impounded water by Angat Dam in Bulacan in 1978, again within the Pampanga River Basin, which caused destruction and death downstream of the dam.

 

PRBFFWC personnel list (past and present)

1. Nestor L. Canuel   (1973 - late 1970's)
2. Lydia B. Lim (mid   1970's - late 1980's)
3. Heraclio M. Borja   (mid 1970's - early 1990's)
4. Alan L. Pineda   (1980 - late 1980's)
5. Judith Bogauisan   (late 1970's to 1980)
6. Leticia P. Padilla   (1980 - early 1990s)
7. Elviza R. Gonzales   (1980 - late 1980's)
8. Solomon L. Santillan   (late 1970's to mid 1980's)
9. Rufino R. Pamis   (1982 to mid 1990's)
10. Hilton Hernando   (1982 - present)
11. Anacleta C. Agustin   (1980 to 2005)
12. Adelina C. Parcia   (1980's)
13. Teodora P. Santos   (1992 - 2005)
14. Antonio A. Lobo   (late 1980's - late 1990's)
15. Danilo Flores   (early 1990's - 2000)
16. Arnel Garcia   (2000 - 2003)
17. Robert Zervoulakos   (early 2000) 
18. Armando P. Taruc   (2005 to present)
19. Jaime Enriquez   (2005 - 2006)
20. Edgardo de la Cruz   (2005 - 2006)
21. Larry Esperanza  (2005 - 2006)
22. Lani Mercado   (2007 - 2009, March)
23. Lane Fabregas   (2006 - 2009, March)
24. Feliciano Madrazo   (2007 - 2009, March)
25. Romeo F. Dayao   (March 2009 -  present)
26. John R. Dabu   (March 2009 -  present)

Recent Photos