MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wants different agencies to have access to satellite data that could have multiple uses such as in agriculture, business and environmental protection.

During Monday’s inaugural meeting of the Philippine Space Council (PSC), President Marcos particularly highlighted the importance of satellite mapping which could have multiple applications. The chief executive chairs the PSC.

“The reason we are signing an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Space Council is so that we can do mapping because… as I was explaining to you earlier, in terms of green, in terms of bio assets, there is now a way to quantify your nice fisheries, your agricultural activity,” Marcos said during the meeting held at the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) conference room in CyberOne Building, Eastwood, Quezon City.

“All of that. It is in terms of how much carbon you’re putting out into the air. But the beginning, the first step of that, will be to map,” Marcos pointed out.

The President said potential investors, for example, who are carbon producers need to balance their activity through the use of mapping data for them to develop a particular bio-diverse area in a certain location.

However, it must begin by mapping the entire country in a slightly different way from what was being done before, he said.

“So that’s why I was asking you that we have to make sure that the data we give [in] each different department is in a form that they can use,” Marcos said.

The President also advised the country’s Space Council to maximize the Philippines’ tie-ups with the different agencies around the world involved in imaging that may be useful for the country.

Also during the meeting, PhilSA proposed a resolution, declaring the annual celebration of the National Space Week or Pambansang Linggo ng Kalawakan from August 8 to 14 beginning next year.

The National Space Week, which coincides with the enactment of the Philippine Space Act on August 9, 2019, aims to promote space awareness, espouse the benefits of space and its impact on the lives of the people, celebrate the contribution of Filipinos in the field of space and inspire the future generation.

President Marcos also toured the PhilSA exhibits showcasing the country’s satellite technologies, image acquisition and processing capabilities through Earth observation satellites. (PND)