The government is investing P1 billion to upgrade the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, better known as Project NOAH, its artificial intelligence-powered flood forecasting and hazard monitoring initiative, aiming to give authorities more time to respond to disasters and reduce damage to lives, livelihoods, and public infrastructure.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it released the funding to the University of the Philippines System to strengthen real-time hazard assessments, predictive flood modeling, and other tools used by national agencies and local governments.
“This P1-billion investment in Project NOAH is an investment in prevention,” DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert De Leon said.
“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 allocation, P935 million will fund research services, while P65 million will cover general management and supervision. The funding is charged against UP’s allocation under the 2026 national budget.
The investment will finance ICT, digital, and scientific equipment, specialized personnel, and operational systems designed to improve hazard assessment and forecasting.
Implemented by the UP Resilience Institute, Project NOAH combines AI-enhanced modeling, LiDAR mapping, and data analytics to generate real-time hazard information and predictive flood scenarios.
The upgraded capabilities are expected to help government agencies and local governments identify areas at risk, improve early warnings, and make faster decisions before flooding and other hazards intensify.
For the government, the investment also has a fiscal payoff. Better forecasting can help limit damage to roads, public buildings, utilities, and other infrastructure, reducing the cost of disaster recovery.
“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.
The P1-billion allocation underscores a broader shift in disaster management, moving from responding to disasters after they strike toward anticipating hazards and acting before they become more destructive.
By combining AI, real-time data, and scientific modeling, Project NOAH aims to turn earlier warnings into earlier action, helping communities prepare while protecting public investments from mounting disaster losses.
