Why is gov’t slashing PAGASA’s budget for 2014?

MANILA, Philippines – As Typhoon Labuyo battered the northern parts of the Philippines on Monday, August 12, and in the wake of reports of disillusioned forecasters leaving, the state weather bureau proposed a lower budget for 2014.

For next year, the government wants to cut the budget of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) by 14.1% or P206.1 million from this year’s.

Before this spurs a deluge of criticisms, however, the budget notes prepared by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department indicates that the decrease is mostly due to the cut in the agency’s capital outlay allocation from P644 million to P397 million.

Specifically, PAGASA will be purchasing only two Doppler radars in 2014, after having allocated for the purchase of 5 such radars this year, said Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo said during the congressional hearing. 

Montejo also told reporters later that the weather bureau also decided to lessen the number of contractual employees and project-based employees, so it could increase by P164.2 million the budget for personnel services.

PAGASA’s proposed budget for 2014 totals P1.26 billion. 

Brain drain?

PAGASA’s proposed personnel services allocation will be reduced by 0.9% to to P352 million, from P355.2 million.

This promoted the House budget research department to note that this could affect the “continuing brain drain in the agency.”

The latest weather forecaster to leave, Ricky Fabregas, accepted a job at the Democratic Republic of Congo after receiving a monthly salary of only P20,000 after 16 years of service at the bureau.

Montejo denied that there’s an exodus of weather bureau personnel. He said PAGASA, on the contrary, has hired 37 new employees even as “one or two” resigned for more lucrative positions overseas. 

The P3.2-million cut in personnel services budget was decided on after PAGASA officer in charge Dr Vic Malano told Montejo that funds for personnel services in the 2013 budget was “overstated” while it has now been “correctly reflected.” 

PAGASA’s proposed budget shows allocations for personnel services under general administration and support dropped by P163.6 million to P73.7 million for 2014, from P237.3 million in 2013. 

But funding for personnel services under operations increased by P164.2 million to P251.4 million in 2014, from only P87.2 million in 2013. – Rappler.com