By Robina Asido

EL SALVADOR, Misamis Oriental -- The Philippine weather bureau hopes that the Japanese government will also support its plan to rehabilitate the "biggest river basin" in the country.

In a press conference following the inauguration of the Japanese funded Cagayan De Oro River Basin flood forecasting and warning system in Misamis Oriental on Friday, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Deputy Administrator Roy Badilla mentioned that the agency is also seeking the support of Japan to rehabilitate the Cagayan River Basin.

" It is the biggest (river basin) here in the Philippines but it needs rehabilitation. So we are trying to source the fund from the Japanese government and hoping that they can help us," Badilla said in a press conference on Friday.

In an interview with the Daily Manila Shimbun, Badilla stressed that aside from the rehabilitation, the bureau also wants the Cagayan River Basin to have a flood forecasting and warning system similar to the newly inaugurated system for river basin in Cagayan De Oro which has two X-Band radars.

He noted that unlike the flood forecasting and warning system established in nine other river basins in the country that were also funded by the Japanese government, only the project in Cagayan De Oro River Basin has two X-Band radars while others only have one each.

Badilla explained aside from the rehabilitation of the flood forecasting and warning system in Cagayan River Basin which has one X-band radar, adding two more radars will further improve its capability noting that Cagayan River Basin is the "biggest river basin" in the country.

According to Pagasa, "Cagayan River is the largest river in the Philippines with a drainage area of 27,280 square kilometers at its mouth in Aparri."

"The basin encompasses parts of Cagayan, Isabela, Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Quezon Provinces. The basin is roughly elliptical in shape with its major axis oriented in a north-south direction," it added.

Badilla said the request for the rehabilitation of Cagayan River Basin which is still within the level of Pagasa will still have to be submitted to relevant government agencies for approval before it will be forwarded to the Japanese government.

The Cagayan River Basin that was also funded by JICA was established with the Agno and Bicol River Basins in 1983. The state weather bureau is pushing for the rehabilitation of the Cagayan River Basin as the Agno River Basin was rehabilitated in 2011 while the Bicol River Basin rehabilitation was made in 2019.

During the press conference, Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya assures that "the Japanese government, through JICA and some other agencies" are very much happy to continue its collaboration with the Philippine government.

In his inauguration message, JICA Chief Representative Baba Takashi also noted that although the project for improving the flood forecasting and warning system in Cagayan De Oro River Basin has been completed, "JICA will always going to be with you as partners as we make a steady progress in strengthening our partnership in disaster preparedness." Robina Asido/DMS