Philippine Area of Responsibility

The Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) is an area in the Northwestern Pacific where PAGASA, the Philippines' national meteorological agency monitors weather occurrences. Significant weather disturbances, specifically, tropical depressions and tropical cyclones, that enter or develop in the PAR are given Philippine-specific names.

Boundary

Philippine Area of Responsibility

The area is bounded by six points namely:[1]

This area encompasses almost all of the land territory of the Philippines, except for the southernmost portions of the province of Tawi-Tawi, and some of the country's claimed islands in the Spratlys. The area also includes the main island of Palau, most of Taiwan, as well as portions of the Malaysian state of Sabah and the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.

Function

The establishing decree of PAGASA mandates the weather agency, particularly its National Weather Office, to monitor weather occurrences occurring within the PAR. This area is defined by the World Meteorological Organization.[2][3]

Tropical depressions and tropical cyclones (typhoons) are only assigned local names by PAGASA when they enter or develop within the PAR.[4][5] These names are provided in parallel with internationally recognized names designated by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The rationale for providing local names is that it is felt that Filipinos will respond more to familiar names and that it helps to underscore that these named weather disturbances pose a direct threat to the country. Furthermore, PAGASA provide names when a low pressure area becomes a tropical depression, in contrast to international names that are only provided for tropical cyclones, due to the fact that tropical depressions can still cause flooding and other damage.[6]

When a named weather disturbance within the PAR has made or is expected to make a landfall in the Philippines, PAGASA is mandated to issue weather bulletins every six hours. If the weather disturbance is not affecting land, the weather agency has to issue bulletins every 12 hours.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Memorandum Circular No. 02-2013 - Guidelines on Movement of Vessels During Heavy Weather". Philippine Coast Guard. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  2. ↑ "Presidential Decree No. 78 -Establishing the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration". The LawPhil Project. 8 December 1972. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories". Rappler. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  4. ↑ "Philippine Tropical cyclone names". Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  5. ↑ Rosero, Earl Victor (27 September 2011). "Why and how storms get their names". GMA News. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  6. ↑ "What are the upcoming tropical cyclone names ?". Hurricane Research Division, Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Carillo, Jose (18 July 2014). "Getting acclimatized to PHL's weather terminology". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
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