PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has instructed the Philippine Space Council (PSC) to help government agencies use satellite imaging in modernizing their operations, the Palace said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Office of the Press Secretary said the President met with the PSC to explore possible applications of satellite imagery in business, agriculture and environmental protection.
“As I was explaining to you earlier, in terms of green, in terms of bio assets, there is now a way to quantify… fisheries (and) agricultural activity,” he was quoted as telling the council.
He also noted a possible application involving the measurement of carbon emissions. “But the beginning, the first step… will be to map.”
He noted that satellite data could aid carbon emitters in offsetting their activities by developing bio-diverse areas in the Philippines.
The PSC is the principal advisory body for the space program and oversees the allocation of resources to the Philippine Space Agency.
The President chairs the council, with Science and Technology Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. as co-chair.
In October, Mr. Marcos said he supported the development of the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment, a domestically developed satellite deployable by 2025.
“I believe that through the use of data and science, we will be able to ensure national security, even our readiness to respond to calamities and boost our economy,” he told space agency officials on Oct. 18. — John Victor D. Ordoñez