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PAGASA to get IBM supercomputer

Diangson Louie July 2, 2013 · 1 min read

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The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will soon receive an IBM supercomputer to improve weather forecasting in the country.

According to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), IBM will donate the said supercomputer which can help weathermen make more accurate forecasts and extend their normal three-day forecast to seven. In addition, the computer can also process data on what would be the weather outlook of the country in the next 5 to 10 years.

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The supercomputer would also allow the agency to use advanced modeling software which should take advantage of the weather sensors installed in the country such as Doppler radars. Currently there are 10 Doppler radars operating nationwide measuring the amount of rainfall brought by an incoming typhoon. According to DOST director Raymund Liborio, the agency is planning to install five more Doppler radars which would be installed in strategic areas in the country.

{via} Image Source: www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph

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Diangson Louie

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This article was written by Louie Diangson, Managing Editor of YugaTech. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

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54 Comments

PurosNEgatibo · 13 years ago

Kesyo ganyan, kesyo ganito. Read the description people, it was only donated by IBM. Why the hate? We should be thankful to them.

Mel · 13 years ago

On the bright side: if PAGASA won’t be using the super computer 24/7, they can even rent out processing time to other organizations (such as private companies and universities) that need occasional access to supercomputers during PAGASA’s off-peak hours and earn some extra cash on the side ;-)

ged · 13 years ago

ang daming magagaling dito.. tayo na nga ang binigyan and dami pang sinasabi…

simple lang pag kayo ba binigyan ng hi-end smartphone.. manghihingi kapa ng load? o sana isang basic phone na lang ang binigay?

emem · 13 years ago

donate yan. basa basa din pag may time. IBM has always been generous in terms of helping the majority. hindi lang sila nagsasabi na nagdonate sila ng ganito nag sponsor sila ng ganyan. unlike other tech companies.

joel · 13 years ago

magbibigay nga di naman binili mag basa kayo bago mag comment!!

Mr A · 13 years ago

Just like most of the readers who knows technolgy would suggest clustering and using off-the-shelf brands and open-source software are half-right on the matter.

While it is cheap to just cluster in a dozen of compters to do the computations. Heck, why not do something like folding-at-home where we can contribute on putting our weather forcast in a competitive level with other nations.

But this isn’t a hobby. While most of the suggestion worked. I think their decision was so-so right. I think they choose IBM because they are widely available in the country and support and hardware are easy to find. There are a number of IBM specialist in the country that are trained to use these equipment, which lessen the problem of figuring out problems if PAG-ASA used off-the-shelf hardware. People already said it, the government are not I.T savy, and having them go through the problems of making their own “super comptuer”, the wise decision is have someone do the I.T for them.

Now my problem, or question, is what system (software) are they going to use in the supercomputer. I would hope they could go open-source but from a company that knows and specialized on it.

duterter · 13 years ago

mga unggoy! ilang buwan lang yan matatambak na naman yan tulad ng ibang project na hindi pinag iisapan ang long term effect masabe lang na may project.

CCIE#1836 · 13 years ago

Use Cloud instead of Mainframes on DC 1.0, this is so Jurassic!

wala lang · 13 years ago

Mas mabilis ng mag-DOTA sa Pag-ASA!

pessimist · 13 years ago

magkano naman kayo aabutin nito? malamang triple ng original price :))

kickback ito pag hindi nila i-announce kung ano specifically binili nila at magkano

Monmon · 13 years ago

“IBM will donate the said supercomputer which can help weathermen make more accurate forecasts and extend their normal three-day forecast to seven.”

Donation hindi bibilhin. Nagbabasa ka ba?

metre9dmt · 13 years ago

2 trends makes buying super-computers an expensive option: linux computer clusters and cloud computing. Come on, DOST! Don’t get trapped to hardware that will be obsolete in 10 years time. Look for more cost-effective solutions. Ask ASTI. Ingatan nyo naman ang pera ng bayan. A bank of 100 AMD and 100 Intel processors in a Beowulf linux cluster is more than sufficient and less costly.

Weh · 13 years ago

-i move or kunin ung pork barrel ng mga kurakot at inutil na govt officials para gamitin sa pag upgrade ng system ng pag asa system.

Jes · 13 years ago

Naks! Kapani paniwala.

NotSoBad · 13 years ago

Regarding more advanced and modern solutions –

I don’t think PAGASA has the proper funding to attract talents\resource persons that are capable of implementing these proposed advanced and modern solutions.

arvinsim · 13 years ago

@people who suggests more advanced and modern solutions

Wag na kaung umasa(pardon the pun). Almost all government agencies are way, way behind the times when it comes to tech. Bureaucracy, red tape, senior management culture…

nullpointer · 13 years ago

Why not just use open and cheap solutions? I’m sure DOST Engineers have knowledge about cloud computing(Openstack + Hadoop). This solutions does not need pricey and speedy hardware.

CCIE#1836 · 13 years ago

Amen to that, Use cloud and virtualize things.

Mr A · 13 years ago

Those serives are more for people needing a fraction of the processing power of a server/computer. It would be cheaper to have the hardware than use these service, since they charge you based on the amount of load you put in it.

Ryan · 13 years ago

PAG-ASA is just PA-ASA. Imagine signal number 2 daw nung saturday. eh ang taas naman ng araw. These supercomputers are useless if luma or kulang pa rin ang mga device for monitoring weather.

VOVOMOTLGAPRAMIS · 13 years ago

Sir first of all d nyu ata naiintindihan kung para san ang signal numbers,di ibig sabihin na biglang tinaas sa lugar nyu ang signal no2 umuulan na ng malakas sa lugar nyo…ginagamit po ito para paalahanan ang mga tao sa darating na delubyo dulot ng bagyo sa kanila….at last weather forecasting is FORECASTING, sa tagalog nanghuhula kaya kahit ganu kamodern ang mga kagamitan natin d pa rin to 100% accurate

wicked · 13 years ago

Nope, dyan ka nagkakamali, sa Japan pag sinabing uulan sa hapon sigurado uulan. Alam ng mga tao dun kung kelan magdadala ng payong at hindi.

Puro panghuhula na nga ginagawa ng PAGASA pinagtatanggol mo pa…

tangahahaha · 13 years ago

@wicked kaw na mismo nagsabe, pag sa JAPAN sinabi na uulan, uulan talaga kahit naman dito sa pilipinas…ang sinasabi ko d porket na sinabi na signal no2 uulan na AGAD isa ka pang wlang alm eh hahaha tska d ganun kaaccurate ang PAGASA dahil mejo luma kagamitan nla

Iyan Sommerset · 13 years ago

Are they donating the hardware but charging for the maintenance? Or will that be free as well?

IMHO, as a third-world, developing country, we don’t need a “supercomputer”. We’re better off relying on a custom bank/cluster of off-the-shelf available components which are cheaper to run and maintain and non-proprietary/more open.

Something like that entire slew of PS2s someone built a few years back, or for a more recent implementation, those Raspberry Pi clusters people have been making.

Cheaper, less power to run, cooler, easier/simpler maintenance.