Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 3) — The Philippine Space Agency or PhilSA will sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs or UNOOSA to further build its capacity on disaster management through the use of space-based information, particularly satellite images.
“With disaster risk reduction, we use satellites called earth observation or EO satellites to take pictures or images that allow us to monitor the natural and built environment, so these images are quite useful in terms of emergencies and disasters,” Philippine Space Agency Director General Joel Joseph Marciano, Jr. told CNN Philippines’ New Day on Thursday.
The MOU will be signed on Friday, he added.
Marciano noted the country is already benefiting from the UNOOSA’s United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response or UN-SPIDER program.
The UN-SPIDER makes space technology available to the Philippines during times of emergencies so certain procedures or mechanisms can be activated to enable quick turnaround of satellite imagery and data products provided by various groups, Marciano said.
“The partnership between UNOOSA and PhilSA focuses on building further capabilities in-country to process, add value and gain insights from the data so that actionable information can be in the hands of our decision makers and emergency responders post haste,” he added.
