Brettnia Angela V.

Arado July 31, 2018

Grade 8- Jose Rodriguez

REFELCTION PAPER

From time to time, we have been experiencing different natural calamities such as
floods, landslides etc. that have been affecting our daily living. Most of the natural calamities
that are happening in this century are caused by destructive human activities. But with the
help of some weather bureau government agencies, like the Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), we have been alerted
by their monitored observations about the climate or weather conditions of a day or time in a
specific place/region. With the help of PAG-ASA, we have been able to ensure our safety;
and be alert and ready for whatever is going to happen. The fact that the weather specialist,
Mr. Gabales caught my attention the most, is when he is said that “PAG-ASA is supposed to
be PAASA,” but it was then considered as PAG-ASA because PAASA is somewhat
unpleasing to hear and implies a different meaning.
In monitoring the weather conditions in a specific day, they use different kinds of
instruments. The instruments that they commonly use are the Microbarograph, Mercurial
Barometer, Wind Indicator, Solar Radiation and the Tipping Bucket recorder. The use of the
Microbarograph and Mercurial Barometer are just the same on how it is used because it both
measures the atmospheric pressure of the place from the ground to the type of layer of
atmosphere (Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere or Exosphere); but they
differ on how it works, because in Microbarograph, it acts like a heart rate monitor but
written, while the Mercurial Barometer, it’s like a thermometer that uses Mercury. Moving on
to the wind indicator, it indicates the direction and speed of the wind; and the Tipping bucket
recorder, records the amount of rainfall. Another instrument they use is the Solar Radiation
that measures the heat of the sun every hour of the day.
In addition, the PAG-ASA that was constructed in Malaybalay City is a Synoptic
Station. We also asked on how their day starts and what are they going to use or how will
they make use of the data they have collected. According to the weather specialists, every 3
hours they gather data and the water that has been in the tipping bucket is changed every six
hours. They usually start gathering data in 8:00 am in the morning. After they have gathered
their data, they are going to send it to the weather station in Manila for them to update the
people and forecast it to the whole region/country. And we also asked them on what days
they are mostly busy and it was said that they are busy mostly if a typhoon is happening.
The connection that I am seeing between PAG-ASA and Research, is that in PAG-
ASA they are just like conducting a research, it’s because in research we investigate, we
analyze the gathered data, perform and observe, we make some predictions and hypothesis.
We can clearly see these factors that the PAG-ASA is doing, they make some predictions of
what the weather or climate will be, they make hypothesis specifically they use the cause and
effect hypothesis; and they also gather data and analyze and interpret it. It’s just like PAG-
ASA is doing a research about the weather conditions in a particular place. We can say that
PAG-ASA is connected to research in a lot of ways.
After the trip and the discussion presented in PAG-ASA, I want to thank our research
teacher, no other than Mrs. Emelie Joy P. Idulsa for giving us the opportunity to the explore
things about PAG-ASA. I gained new knowledge about research and how important it is for
us to give importance to what is going to in our society or the world, and it would also affect
us if we don’t give importance to the world because as what Leonardo Da Vinci said
“Everything is connected to everything else.”