Press Release - Tolentino: PH Space Agency helps in disaster risk management, nat'l security & agri

MANILA -- Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino said on Friday that the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has been vital in the aspects of disaster risk management, national security, and agriculture.

Tolentino presented the agency's significant achievements on the said areas during his defense of the Philippine Space Agency's (PhilSA) 2024 budget at the Senate.

The Senator said that the agency was able to enhance satellite data for disaster risk reduction and monitoring of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

He added that PhilSA was able to conduct "117,952 person hours of training and intensive workshops on utilizing satellite data for various groups in the country working on national security, environmental monitoring, agriculture, and DRRM."

According to Tolentino, PhilSA also had a hand with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in shutting down illegal mining sites through the establishment of geospatial database office.

The Senator further said that through PhilSA, the Philippines will become a "hub for Copernicus Space Data," in Southeast Asia. The said data is the leading provider of Earth observation data for service providers and public authorities, among others which can be used to improve the quality of life of the citizens.