EFCOS Deteriorates

On 26 September 2009, Typhoon Ondoy (International name Ketsana), which brought 341 mm rainfall for six hours or 455 mm for 24 hours surpassing the montlhy average for September (Science Garden station), flooded the cities of Marikina, Pasig, and the towns of Cainta and Taytay in Rizal. Marikna River overflowed and the Laguna Lake swelled with bigger aerial inundation as the water level reached 14 m. People were displaced approximately 2.3 M and claimed around 341 lives. Damages were estimated at PhP4.79 Million in infrastructure.

EFCOS was put into spotlight because it was not operational at the time of calamity where EFCOS was believed to alleviate the disaster's impact through real time hydrological and meteorolgical information. If relayed properly to affected municipalities on time, preparation and evacuation of the people in flood risk area could be done.

The MMDA priority seemed to rely, at the least, on non-structural approach; hence, little attention was given to maintenance of the facilities. It was killed softly with time without any intention of resuscitating reasoning that the facilities are out modeled and ready for phase out.

In EFCOS Phase I - completed in 1993 - PCs microprocessor was 486 with DOS and Windows 3 operating system; data entry was with Lotus 123 encoded manually and simulated through the Japanese model Storage Function Model. In the second phase 2001, some electronics spare parts were replaced with new smaller chips. The PCs were Pentium III with Windows 98 or 2000 and XP. The data were interfaced automatically with the system; hence, data entry was minimized. Simulation and forecasting was easier with MIKE 11 overlaid on GIS platform showing the inundated areas according to the water level. However, DHI MIKE 11 was not sustained since the interfacing with the system encountered glitz and nobody has technical capability to mend. People from Danish Hydraulic Institute could easily do the repair; however, since it is not the priority of the MMDA, the computer model was shelved.

Now, the Microprocessor is QuadCore which enable fast and reliable computing. Even without the expensive MIKE 11, HEC-GEORAS and RAS, free software from the US Army, the hydrological and hydraulic simulation can be done with same results.

Technological advances may out model the existing system but the latest technology becomes cheaper, more reliable and readily available. Upgrading the old chips, the panel boards, the computers and software would not entail as high as PhP 500 Million, I supposed. Locally manufactured and innovated telecommunication equipment can replace the imported Japanese hardware. If reasoning is EFCOS is now obsolete, then PLDT, Smart, Globe, and other telecommunication companies would not thrive in competition by depending passively with their hardware. Looking at the trends and the available viable technology and applied science would enhance the preparation, resilience, evacuation and in general our strategy to cope with the disaster.

The justification purported by the management for not keeping and sustaining the system was that it was outmodeled and would cost P500,000 per station and its present worth due to deterioration is now equivalent to a cell phone. However, the system would not decay at its present condition today if the management regarded its significance on the onset that the facilities were turned over to them. Since then, purchase of spare parts or other alternative replacement was set aside as EFCOS was an additional budgetary burden in their allocation and there were more important items to put money into until Ondoy occurred. It was a big blunder to give an armored vehicle to a school boy. Simply, the system was handed wrongfully to an agency which does not maximize EFCOS.