Jose Edgardo L. Aban, Ph.D. Technical Secretariat a presentation given by Science and Technology Coordinating Council-Committee on Space Technology Applications (STCC-COSTA) during UN-SPIDER workshop in China, 5-7 December, 2007

1. Philippine Initiatives on the
Applications of Space
Technology
on Hazard Mitigation
Disaster Management and
Jose Edgardo L. Aban, Ph.D.
Technical Secretariat
Science and Technology Coordinating Council-Committee on Space
Technology Applications (STCC-COSTA)

2.  located along the typhoon belt in the
located along the Pacific Ring of Fire,
Pacific making it vulnerable to
typhoons and tsunami between two Tectonic plates (Eurasian
 Average of 20 typhoons yearly and Pacific) which are volcanic and
(7 are destructive) earthquake generators.
2nd NC-STAR 28 22 active volcanoes (5 most active)
November 2007, Pan Pacific Hotel Malate, Manila

5. HAZARD MAPPING PROJECT:
• started in June 2006, this 4- year project targets 27 provinces vulnerable to landslides, floods,
earthquake-related hazards and storm surge
• funded by Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID)
• being implemented by the UN Development Programme (UNDP)

7. HIGHLIGHTS OF 1ST NC-STAR
• Participants discussed policy matters in relation to effective
collaboration and cooperation on space technology (ST)
development and applications, with particular attention to their
effects on such technology applications as satellite remote sensing,
satellite meteorology, communications satellites, satellite-based
positioning systems, and related GIS
• Venue for issues and problems to assess the needs of the space
technology applications (STA) and research sector in the
Philippines, and to resolve such issues and problems through the
formulation of a cohesive national program on ST R&D
• Programs and projects as well as the policies that were developed
through NC-STAR are in support of and complementary with the
precepts of the National Science and Technology Plan (NSTP)
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

8. HIGHLIGHTS OF 1ST NC-STAR
• Supported the establishment and strengthening of regional
cooperative mechanisms and modalities on STA beneficial to the
nation
• Provided for effective dissemination of info on important national
and international developments in STA, with particular emphasis
on the implementation of Agenda 21 for environmentally sound and
sustainable development in Asia and Pacific
• Provided possible funding mechanisms for STA projects and
appropriate steps in mobilizing policy-level financial and technical
support from participating members, donors and financial
institutions for the effective implementation of the program
identified during NC-STAR
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

9. HIGHLIGHTS OF 1ST NC-STAR
• Provided a venue for involvement of (NGOs), academe, research
institutions and the industrial and private sectors in promoting STA
and research for sustainable development of the nation
• Participants forged institutional and organizational linkages among
local and foreign space organizations and implemented
collaborative projects to exchange and maximize expertise,
technology and resource sharing, through a coordinated and
harmonized approach
• Endorsed the formation of working groups on various space
application themes, reviewed the reports and recommendations of
the working groups, and provided policy guidelines for their
implementation.
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

10. KEY ACCOMLISHMENTS
OF 1ST NC-STAR
• Monumental Inventory of STA equipment, manpower and data of
national line agencies and related institutes using and applying ST
• Provided the framework on various strategies and plans of action
for STA sector were developed based on
– consultations with duly constituted members of the technical
working committee NC-STAR
• Three (3) Pre-Congress Workshops through SWOT analyses
assessed the overall national capability and readiness of the
different government agencies involved in the use, development
and application of STA, particularly remote sensing and GIS
– Humanware
– Technoware
– Infoware
– Orgaware
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

11. PLANS OF ACTION
• NC-STAR Framework has 4 plans of action, on
which strategies are anchored on to support
these plans:
– Plan of Action I: Development of expert manpower needs,
curriculum and educational materials at all levels;
– Plan of Action II: Rehabilitation and improvement of Earth
observation and monitoring systems;
– Plan of Action III: Networking among academic institutions
and concerned agencies for data access, archiving and
analysis;
– Plan of Action IV: Intensification of preparation and
dissemination of information understandable by the general
public.
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

12. WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?
• DOST has operationalized the following projects to effectively
manage disaster events and mitigate hazards, using STA:
– Refurbishment of EO facilities particularly with upgrade of NOOA
receiving facility in the middle of 2006. PAGASA receives twice
daily real-time images from the NOAA satellite
– Establishment of MTSAT receiving facility at the PAGASA for real-
time regional satellite image of cloud distribution
– refurbishment and upgrade of Doppler Radar facilities in key
PAGASA installations particularly in the western banks of RP
• In January 2007, PCASTRD through the Science and Technology
Coordinating Council inked a memorandum of understanding with
the Kyushu University - Space Environment Research Center
(SERC) on sunrise science of Seismo-electromagnetics
– Collaborative researches and exchange of human resources and
information are hoped to be tapped under this MOU
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

13. MT-SAT
NOAA-AVHRR

14. WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?
• Initial talks with United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
(UNOOSA) and the APEC-Technology Foresight Center on the
Use of Space Technologies to Combat Emerging Infectious
Diseases (EIDs)
• On-going project on Establishment of a National Spatial Data
Infrastructure (NSDI) by NAMRIA and ASTI (dubbed as FedGIS)
through a DOST-GIA funded project.
• In the works JAXA-related initiatives and collaborations such as the
following:
– Wideband Internetworking Engineering and Test and
Demonstration Satellite (WINDS) – through STCC-COSTA ASTI,
NAMRIA and OCD-NDCC
– Sentinel Asia Project – through STCC-COSTA, ASTI, NAMRIA and
OCD-NDCC
– Hosted the Fourth Joint Project Team Meeting (JPTM4) in Manila
last 5-7 September 2007
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

15. The 4th Sentinel Asia Joint Project Team Meeting
(JPTM)
Dusit Hotel Nikko, Manila, Republic of the Philippines
5-7 September 2007
84 participants
45 organizations
17 countries
06 international organizations
New Philippine Joint Team Members:
1.Bureau of Soil & Water Management (BSWM)
2.Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB)
3.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)
4.Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development
5. (PCASTRD)
6.Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)

16. WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?
• We have also initiated activities focused on the development of
capability in space education and international collaboration, to wit:
• Creation of National Advisory Committee on Space Education in
the Philippines (NACSEP) under the aegis of the Science
Education Institute-Department of Science and Technology (SEI-
DOST)
– Long-term and short-term programs geared towards beefing up
space science and technology education are in the works.
• Yearly celebrations of the Word Space Week-WSW (October 4-
10), STCC-COSTA and SEI collaborate to launch space
awareness programs for the youth and the general public.
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

17. WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?
• International Coordinative work with
– UNESCAP
– UNOOSA
– Asia-Pacific Multilateral Cooperation on Space Technology
Applications (APMCSTA); participated in talks on the Asia-Pacific
Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO)
– Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF)
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

18. IN THE HORIZON
• Increasing demand for EO satellite data due to perennial natural
and man-made environmental disasters striking
• National disaster coordinating and relief agencies are often in
deadlock in times of such crises
• Realization of the need for acquiring an EO satellite
• STCC-COSTA is taking lead in pushing for dev’t of small satellite
as one of the key elements identified in ST roadmap of 1 st NC-
STAR
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

19. IN THE HORIZON
• Technical Secretariat of the STCC-COSTA has initially embarked
on the project entitled, “Conduct of the Pre-Feasibility/Feasibility
Study for the Local Development of Small Satellites”
• Salient initial information and recommendations on the initiative
will be contained in the full document which should be released
early 2008
December 3-5, 2007, UN-SPIDER Workshop, Shenzen, China

20. Thank you for your attention