Baguio inks pacts with Benguet towns

By Gaby B. Keith

BAGUIO CITY -- The city government here led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong entered into memorandum of agreements with the municipalities of Tuba represented by Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan and La Trinidad by Mayor Romeo Salda on early flood warning information and mitigation system (FEWS) project, June 23 at City Hall.      
    The city government through the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office headed by Antonette Anaban is a recipient of the project with a grant from the ASEAN- Australian Smart City Trust Fund (AASCTF).
    Anaban said the project has three outputs: An established and operational smart FEWS; real-time data capture system established in four river basins in Baguio and prepared flood mitigation action plan.
    As a component of the project, ten hydrometeorological monitoring stations have been installed at various strategic points in the city and municipalities of La Trinidad and Tuba in Benguet as part of the Flood Early Warning, Information and Mitigation System (FEWS) project.
    These consist of five tandem stations, four water level monitoring stations (WLMS) and one automated rainfall gauge (ARG) and are located in the following stations: Ferguson bridge, Sadjap bridge, Brookspoint, Eagle Crest bridge, Camp 7, Balili bridge, City Camp Lagoon, Asin bridge, Camp 6 bridge, and at the Irisan fire station.
    Anaban said the FEWS model highly depends on the timely input and real-time data from hydrometeorological monitoring stations and there is a need to ensure the continuous functioning, operation, enhancement, and sustainability of Baguio’s newly-established FEWS.
    Under the agreement, Baguio’s roles and responsibilities include maintaining ownership, operation and management of the five monitoring stations; collect, manage and own the data from all hydrometeorological monitoring stations; facilitate PAGASA’s formal transfer of ownership of their Tandem Station at City Camp Lagoon to Baguio; facilitate and undertake the replacement of the tandem station installed at Balili bridge, La Trinidad, among others.
    To maintain ownership, operation and management of the five monitoring stations; collect, manage and own the data from all hydrometeorological monitoring stations; facilitate PAGASA’s formal transfer of ownership of their tandem station at Asin bridge and Camp 6 bridge; among others, are Tuba’s roles and responsibilities.
    Meanwhile, La Trinidad’s roles and responsibilities are facilitating PAGASA’s formal transfer of ownership of their Tandem Station at Balili Bridge; shoulder the operations and maintenance cost of the said tandem station; secure the physical integrity of all monitoring stations under the jurisdiction of La Trinidad; and coordinate with Baguio through the CDRRMO regarding any technical concerns on the deployed devices.
    The project is made possible through a grant from the ASEAN- Australian Smart City Trust Fund (AASCTF), Ramboll Denmark, the implementing organization led by Alvaro Fonseca and Asian Development Bank, the fund manager of the AASCTF through Mr. Kyaw Thu.