The Commission on Audit (COA) has recommended that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) adopt direct contracting to expedite repairs and maintenance of its Doppler radar systems. These radars are vital for monitoring and forecasting weather in the Philippines, yet only 10 out of 19 are currently operational. Lengthy procurement processes have hindered timely upkeep.
The 2024 audit of the weather bureau found that only 10 out of PAGASA's 19 Doppler radars are operational. One was decommissioned for safety reasons, another has been offline for repairs since 2022, and two more failed in 2024.
"The Doppler radar facilities of PAGASA play a crucial role in monitoring and forecasting weather in the Philippines as it provides real-time, high-resolution data on precipitation (rain), wind speeds, and storm structure, thus resulting in localized weather monitoring," the audit team stated.
High costs of custom spare parts prevent PAGASA from pre-ordering and stocking them. Delivery requires at least eight months' lead time. In the meantime, the agency reuses components from defunct radars for operational ones.
Procurement of repair parts typically involves public bidding, a drawn-out process to ensure the best value for government funds. "We recommended and the management agreed that the chairperson of the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee) consider direct contracting as an alternative mode of procurement for the repair and maintenance of existing Doppler radar systems to hasten the procurement process," the auditors noted.
PAGASA received no funding for Doppler works in 2022. In 2023, it obtained P22.45 million for repairs at stations in Benguet, Daet, Baler, and Zamboanga. For 2024, P84.47 million covered maintenance for seven radars.