Quezon city: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasized the critical role of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Command Center in gathering precise data on crops, irrigation projects, and weather patterns. During his visit to the NIA headquarters in Diliman, Quezon City, Marcos reviewed the recently established Command Center, which is part of the agency's modernization and digital transformation efforts.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Command Center was created to meet the increasing demand for rapid information access, improved inter-office coordination, and proactive disaster preparedness. Previously, data collection was a slow, manual process, often leading to delayed responses to issues with dams or waterways, which sometimes resulted in crop damage.

The new system implemented at the Command Center allows for real-time monitoring of dam conditions, water levels, and weather patterns. This advancement is part of the modernization of the Dam Monitoring System, which includes the development of the Systematized Telemetry Over Remote Monitoring (STORM), a centralized database management system.

Marcos highlighted that telemetry now enables the immediate transmission of information to the Command Center via satellite-fed monitoring, including weather updates. This advancement allows for earlier determination of when to release water, prepare for flooding, and issue warnings to potentially affected communities.

The integration of modern technologies, such as AI-based crop monitoring and smart weather forecasting systems, ensures that farm and irrigation projects are based on accurate data. President Marcos expressed optimism that these improvements will empower farmers and irrigators with timely and reliable information, helping them safeguard their crops and communities.

He concluded by acknowledging that despite technological advancements, the strength of the agricultural sector ultimately depends on the farmers themselves.