Manila Observatory launches year-long celebration of 160th anniversary
s human beings, we do not make our own light. Instead, we reflect light that God creates.
News & Features
ENHANCED AIR QUALITY MONITORING FOR THE PHILIPPINES: Pandora Instruments Turnover Ceremony at the Manila Observatory
A ceremonial turnover of the Pandora instruments, part of the Pan-Asia Partnership for Geospatial Air Pollution Information Project and the Pandora Asia Network (PAPGAPI-PAN) Philippines Project, was conducted by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) at the...
Life imitates a̶r̶t̶ climate fiction: SB60s, where climate action is discussed, not funded
Bernardine B. de Belen At the top of my Did Not Finish pile, which pertains to books you put down before finishing, is The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. It is a climate fiction novel putting us in the extremely...
ACT2025: Beyond Dialoguing to Action and Support to Avert, Minimize, and Address Loss and Damage
By Tonichi Regalado (KLIMA – Manila Observatory) Allied for Climate Transformation by 2025 (ACT2025) partners, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCAD) and the Manila Observatory (MO) held a side event entitled “Beyond Dialoguing to Action and Support to avert, minimize and...
Supertyphoon Odette: Precautionary Tale
By: Antonio Gabriel M. La Viña, Yla Gloria Marie P. Paras, Jameela Joy M. Reyes When Typhoon Odette ravaged the Philippines in December 2021, many were caught by surprise. While families knew what to do in case of rain, hardly anyone saw what...
PRESS RELEASE
AUGUST 20, 2021 Filipino climate scientists warn: weather extremes in the Philippines to worsen with further warming A higher global temperature will bring about more frequent and more intense weather extremes in many regions of the world, including the Philippines. This is the...
Mapping the Impacts of Tropical Depression Dujuan(Auring) in the Eastern Visayasand CaragaRegion
Summary •Several areas in Southern Philippines experienced accumulated 24-hour rainfall exceeding 150 mm during the onslaught of Tropical Depression Auring on Feb. 20-22, 2021. •Multi-temporal Synthetic Aperture Radar images detected flooding in the municipalities of San Miguel, Tago and Tandag City in the...
New Year’s Eve 2021 Particle Pollution Measurements in Metro Manila
By: Jose Gabriel Abalos, Jarl Tynan Collado, Paola Angela Bañaga, Grace Betito, Zenn Marie Cainglet, Aubrey May De Francisca, Xzann Garry Vincent Topacio, Christine L. Chan, Maria Obiminda Cambaliza, James Bernard Simpas, Genevieve Rose Lorenzo, Melliza Cruz, Connor Stahl, Armin Sorooshian, Nofel Lagrosas,...
Impacts of Taal Volcano Phreatic Eruption (12 January 2020) on the Environment and Population: Satellite-Based Observations Compared with Historical Records
By Ma. Flordeliza P. Del Castillo1, Patricia Mae J. Paraiso1, May Celine T.M. Vicente1, Ma. Laurice P. Jamero2, Gemma T. Narisma3,4 1 Geomatics for Environment and Development, Manila Observatory 2 Resilience Collaboratory, Manila Observatory 3 Regional Climate Systems 4 Department of Physics, Ateneo...
New Year’s Eve 2020 Particle Pollution Measurements in Metro Manila
By Grace Betito, Gabrielle Leung, Paola Angela Bañaga, Miguel Ricardo A. Hilario, Genevieve Rose Lorenzo, Zenn Marie Cainglet, Aubrey May De Francisca, Xzann Garry Vincent Topacio, Imee Delos Reyes, Melliza Cruz, Rachel Braun, Alexander McDonald, Connor Stahl, Nofel Lagrosas, Maria Obiminda Cambaliza, James...
Deepening the Understanding of Clouds and Aerosols Through Shared Science
This August 25, the NASA P-3B started its first flight over the Philippines, gathering samples to understand the interaction between aerosols and clouds. This flight marks the start of the one-and-a-half-months flight campaign of the Cloud, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes – Philippines Experiment...
NASA and the Manila Observatory establish partnership for CAMP2Ex
In the pursuit of understanding how aerosols affect climate and weather, as well as agriculture, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) partnered with the Manila Observatory for the Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex). CAMP2Ex is an airborne mission of...
Did the Indonesian forest fire haze of 2013 reach the Philippines?
Authors: Genie Lorenzo, Liz Cruz, Nofel Lagrosas, Faye Cruz, James Simpas, Brent Holben, Susana Dorado, Victoriano Tobias, and Gemma Narisma Date: August 2013 From 14-23 June 2013, Singapore, parts of Malaysia and Indonesia were blanketed in a dangerous haze as fires burned in the neighboring...
UK and ASEAN Launch Climate Policy Initiative at COP30 to Accelerate Green Transition
Belém, Brazil — The UK Mission to ASEAN has launched a new initiative with ASEAN to strengthen climate policy and institutional capacity, supporting regional efforts to address climate change. The Climate Policy and Institutional Capacity Development pillar of the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund...
From Berlin to Belém: 30 years as a climate leader
Written by Tony La Viña The 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meets in Belém, Brazil from November 10-21, 2025. Although I have been to 25 of these conferences, I won’t be there but a five...
Amplifying the Lived Experiences of L&D among Indigenous Farmers: Klima Center’s Participation in the International Conference on Public Policy
Written by Francis Uldric T. San Juan Gathering more than 1000 participants in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and virtually, to tackle various aspects of public policy, it was vital to ensure that there was space for the experiences of indigenous peoples. The experiences and...
A Just Transition for Philippine Agriculture: Climate, Food, and Justice
Agriculture is at the heart of Philippine society and employs nearly one in five Filipinos while serving as the backbone of rural communities. Yet, it is also among the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Rising temperatures, stronger typhoons, and shifting rainfall patterns...
Klima Center participates in AUN Conference on Ecological Education and Culture
by Ninna Catipon and Sabrina Arambulo Last August 27 and 28, the Klima Center of the Manila Observatory participated in the 2025 ASEAN University Network Conference on Ecological Education and Culture themed “Room Temperature: Current Responses and Actions in Climate Change Education” at...
MO provides climate policy expertise to ILO Report on financing just transition in the Philippines
In August 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Social Finance Unit released a report “Financing a just transition: State of play of the sustainable finance ecosystem in the Philippines”. The Report: Maps sectoral transition pathways, focusing on energy, transport and agriculture Highlights social...
Manila Observatory submits paper for the UAE Just Transition Work Program
In response to the call for submissions of the third dialogue under the UAE Just Transition Work Program (UAE JTWP), the Manila Observatory through the Klima Center submitted a paper titled: “Adaptation-Centered Just Transition Pathways: A Mapping of Options for Understanding Just Transition...
People and Planet were Heard: The ICJ Opinion on Climate and State Responsibility
Who is responsible for climate change? In this article, Klima presents its analysis on the ICJ Advisory Opinion which clarified States’ legal obligations to prevent environmental harm by limiting GHG emissions, ushering in a new era of climate justice and accountability.
Klima Center holds Climate Justice Capacity Building Workshop with Grassroots Organizations
Last July 23-25, 2025, the Klima Center of Manila Observatory, together with the Fastenaktion Programme Coordination Unit in the Philippines, held a Capacity Building Workshop entitled “Climate Justice through Just Transition and Loss and Damage” at the St. Michael Retreat Center in Antipolo...
DLSU-SDRC and MO launch first Stakeholders Forum for Resilient Platform Work PH
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The De La Salle University – Social Development Research Center (DLSU-SDRC), in partnership with the Manila Observatory (MO), launched the project Resilient Platform Work PH through a Stakeholders Forum held on June 4, 2025. The Forum convened experts from government,...
Untapped potentials: rare earth elements in the Philippines
by Christine R. Mapa The Manila Observatory continued its 160th celebration with the third installment of the AmBag Anniversary Lecture Series on June 20, 2025. The talk featured Dr. Rene Claveria of the Ateneo de Manila University’s Environmental Science Department, who highlighted the...
SB62 Has Set The Stage: Why COP30 Must Deliver on Climate Justice
by Tony La Viña, Jan Cherome Sison, Jayvy Gamboa, Ally Munda, Gab Mesina The recent SB62, or 62nd Session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), held in Bonn may look like...
Climate Advocacy Group pre-SB62 workshop in Bonn: Global perspectives on Article 6
The weekend before the UN June Climate meetings, representatives from the different Fastenaktion international partners participated in the Climate Advocacy Group (CAG) in-person workshop held in Bonn, Germany. Throughout the one-day workshop, Atty. Jayvy Gamboa and Engr. Gab Mesina from the Manila Observatory...
Changing Forward: The Shape of the Philippines’ Electric Vehicle Market
by Sabrina Arambulo & Tonichi Regalado The Philippine government has actively supported EV adoption through measures such as extending zero-tariff rates on battery electric vehicles and components until 2028, and aiming to bolster the domestic EV industry despite global trade tensions. This policy...
SB62 Brief: Agenda and Key Issues Driving Mid-Year Climate Talks
by Tony La Viña, Ally Munda, Jayvy Gamboa, Gab Mesina, Jan Cherome Sison The mid-year technical negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are underway in Bonn, Germany, from June 16 to 26. SB62, is the 62nd Session of...
Bridging the Climate Knowledge Gap Through Storytelling
by Christine R Mapa Building on the success of its inaugural session, the AmBag Anniversary lecture series returned on May 23, 2025, with its second installment: ‘Dugsong: Mga Tinipong Kwento ng Klima mula sa Oscar M Lopez (OML) Center’, presented by Ms. Kato...
KMITL donates GNSS receivers to DSD, marks start of collaboration
The Data and Sensor Development (DSD) Laboratory welcomed colleagues from the King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) who visited the Manila Observatory on 15-16 May 2025. Their visit marks the beginning of the two institutions’ research collaboration on space weather, earthquake precursors,...
AQD Laboratory welcomes colleagues to the Manila Observatory, looks for points of collaboration
The Air Quality Dynamics laboratory welcomed guests from Clean Air Asia, PRC Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Peking University, and QC Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department on 10 April 2025. They went on a tour around the Manila Observatory grounds, looking at archives and the instruments we use to...
Manila Observatory Opens Milestone Celebration with the Launch of AmBag Lecture Series
by Christine R. Mapa Manila Observatory kicked off its 160th anniversary celebration on April 25, 2025 at Heyden Hall with the first of a series of lectures featuring conversations on science, service, and society dubbed AmBag. AmBag or “Agham sa Banig” started as...