BAGUIO CITY - The partnership between government and private institutions in ensuring to mitigate and decrease the risks of the effects of weather related disasters is getting boosts.

The city is a recipient to the latest Automated Weather Station (AWS) through the initiative of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) to help prepare member cities in monitoring weather patterns and disturbances anywhere in the country.

The project is supported by Union Bank, Aboitiz Power and Weather Philippines Foundation.

One of the features of the AWS is real-time monitoring of daily weather condition and forecasts which will be fed via internet and accessed by the public.

The AWS has been turned over to the city last August 16, 2012 after a brief training on use and maintenance by personnel of the Meteomedia Philippines, its technology partner.

City Administrator Atty. Carlos Canilao said, 'the city government will be installing the device to help prepare against disasters and improve risk reduction mechanisms of the city'.

The AWS is a meteorological weather monitoring instrument that has the capacity to capture atmospheric and meteorological data such as rainfall, wind speed and direction, humidity and temperature.

It will be hooked-up to a computer based monitoring system where data is analyzed every hour and posted online for easy access as a tool for local government units enhanced weather information system.

Weather Philippines Foundation General Manager Engr. Celso Caballero said the instrument is not competing with government run weather forecasting stations but rather complementing their capabilities and programs.

Caballero said, 'the foundation will be providing 1000 AWS devices all over the Philippines which will be linked to a weather portal' enhancing the country's weather monitoring capabilities.

Meantime, City Mayor Mauricio Domogan said, 'the city is happy to partner with private entities in order to help improve disaster preparedness in the region'.

'These device will be a great help to the city by providing essential data during weather disturbances', He said.

Other cities and municipalities in Northern Luzon are also recipient to the AWS device.

Other personalities who attended the turn-over are League of Cities in the Philippines Executive Director Jeremy Philippe Nishimori, Hedcor President Rene Ronquillo, Meteomedia Technical Consultant Mark Vornhusen and officers and members of the different Provincial and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils in Luzon.***paul rillorta