Gov’t to launch Diwata, first PH-made satellite

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MANILA — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Tuesday announced that it will be launching into space in 2016 and 2017 the very first satellite made in the country.

The first micro-satellite Philippine Scientific Earth Observation Micro-Satellite 1 (PHL-Microsat) was nicknamed Diwata.

The government project aims to send micro-satellites that will help in disaster management programs, weather forecasting, agriculture, fisheries, forest protection, mining, and even the protection of cultural and historical sites, according to Dr Joel Marciano, the program leader.

Diwata will be launched through the International Space Station (ISS), a large habitable satellite orbiting the Earth.

The second satellite, PHL-Microsat-2, which has no nickname yet, will be launched in 2017.

On top of these developments, a ground receiving station called the Philippine Earth Data Resources Observation (Pedro) Center will also be established under the same program.

Pedro Center will be established at the Subic Freeport in Zambales City.

It will be responsible for the data and images received by the satellites as well as the processing of the said data into information that can be fed to government agencies and be used for public services.