The Philippines and Taiwan have agreed to set up a high-tech 15 automatic weather stations (AWS) throughout the country to improve typhoon tracking in this typhoon-prone country.

Resident Representative Antonio I. Basilio of MECO said that Philippines and Taiwan have agreed this important cooperation during their 2nd Joint Science and Technology Conference last September 16 in Manila.

The 15 AWS will cost Taiwan about P15.5 million. The high-tech equipment include data logger, data modem, solar power supply, computer workstation and software.

For the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology and the PAG-ASA will spend for the installation, operation and maintenance of the 15 stations estimated to cost over P2 million.

Installation of the 15 AWS will commence as soon as possible. The cooperation is important because a weather disturbance in either country normally affects the other.

Both countries have agreed to put up and operate a network of 15 AWS throughout the Philippines to provide better and on-time weather data.

The AWS network will help generate better forecasts for weather disturbances approaching the Philippine area of responsibility, an area that also includes Taiwan because of the close proximity of both nations to each other.

"Taiwan and the Philippines must really cooperate more actively and deeply with each other in the area of weather forecasting because both are typhoon-prone economies. The AWS Project will be a major milestone in the collaboration of both countries to keep their people safer from the onslaught of typhoons and other weather disturbances," said Basilio.

Under the agreed technical cooperation, Taiwan will provide the hardware for the AWS, including 15 sets of basic automatic weather stations and peripherals. It will also provide needed training to Filipino personnel in charge of the AWS.