DBM releases P1-B for AI-powered flood forecasting, disaster mitigation

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P1 billion to the University of the Philippines (UP) System to strengthen Project NOAH’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered flood forecasting, real-time hazard monitoring, and disaster prevention capabilities.

The funding supports the Marcos administration’s efforts to shift disaster management from responding after calamities strike to using science, technology and data to anticipate risks and prevent hazards from becoming disasters.

DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said the P1-billion release would provide the government and communities with better tools to anticipate threats and act before lives and livelihoods are put at risk.

“Hindi natin kailangang hintayin na tumaas ang tubig bago tayo kumilos. The goal is to know where the danger is, who is at risk, and what needs to be done before disaster strikes,” De Leon said.

“This P1-billion investment in Project NOAH is an investment in prevention. We are putting science, AI, and real-time hazard information to work so government can act earlier, communities can prepare better, and more Filipino lives and livelihoods can be protected,” he added.

Of the P1-billion allocation, chargeable against the UP System’s built-in appropriation under the Fiscal Year 2026 General Appropriations Act, P935 million will support research services, while P65 million will fund general management and supervision for the implementation of Project NOAH.

The funding will cover the procurement and deployment of critical information and communications technology, digital, technical and scientific equipment; the engagement of highly specialized technical personnel; and the establishment of operational support systems to strengthen the country’s hazard assessment and forecasting capabilities.

Project NOAH harnesses AI-enhanced modeling, LiDAR mapping, data analytics and other digital technologies to generate real-time hazard assessments, predictive flood scenarios and science-based information that can help national government agencies and local government units make faster and better-informed decisions before and during emergencies.

The project will be implemented by the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI), with Project NOAH advancing disaster risk reduction and management, as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation, through research, development and extension services.

According to De Leon, strengthening disaster prevention is also an investment in protecting public resources, as major disasters can destroy homes, livelihoods and infrastructure, as well as years’ worth of government investments, in a matter of hours.

“The best disaster management is when we are able to prevent disasters from becoming a catastrophe. Every peso we invest in better forecasting and preparedness can help save lives, protect livelihoods, and avoid far greater losses later on,” De Leon said.

“We cannot stop typhoons or heavy rains from coming, but with the right information at the right time, we can reduce their impact. That is what we want public funds to deliver—not simply resources after a disaster, but greater protection before it happens,” he stressed.

The DBM has previously partnered with UP NOAH to integrate disaster risk reduction strategies into the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation (Project DIME), which helps assess the exposure and resilience of government infrastructure projects to natural hazards.

The latest fund release builds on that partnership by further strengthening scientific and technological capabilities to translate hazard data into earlier warnings, better planning and faster action on the ground.