Brief History

  • 01 January 1865 – Philippine Meteorological Service begun under the Observatorio Meteorologico de Manila now Manila Observatory.
  • 7 July 1879 – The first issuance of typhoon warning crossing Northern Luzon made by the Observatorio and in November of the same year predicted that a strong typhoon will cross over Manila 
  • 28 April 1894 – Under the Royal Decree of Spain, the Manila Observatory was recognized as an official institution under the Jesuits.
  • 22 May 1901 - By act of the Philippine Commission, the Observatorio was re-organized under the Act No. 131 and was formally named as Weather Bureau under the administrative control of the Department of Interior.
  • 1917 – The Weather Bureau was placed under Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources when the latter was created. 
  • February 1945 – The Weather Bureau was blasted to destruction during the battle of Manila. All instruments, records and scientific knowledge accumulated through the years were lost.
  • 24 July 1945 – Re-establishment of the Weather Bureau with  7 men constituting its personnel under Mr. Edilberto Parulan as OIC
  • 1946 – Pursuance to the provision in the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1946, a U.S. Weather Mission was sent to Manila to undertake survey of the Bureau’s need. As a result, the Bureau acquired meteorological equipment and technical assistance from the U.S. and pave the way for the establishment of standard weather services patterned after similar institutions in the more technically advanced countries of the world. The Bureau was placed under the Department of Commerce and Industry during this time.
  • 1947 – The Weather Bureau under the Commonwealth era was transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and for a brief period under the Department of Public Works and Communications during the Japanese Occupation. Likewise, the Weather Bureau’s Central Office was moved to Marsman Bldg. opposite Pier 15 at the Port Area, while the Forecasting Center was transferred to the MIA Balagbag terminaland it became the Manila Main Meteorological Office or MMMO.
  • 1949 – New Geophysical Observatory was set-up behind the UP grounds.
  • 1950 – A teletype service connected the Forecasting Center to Clark Air Force Base, Sangley Point Naval Base and the Bureau of Telecommunications. Exchange of weather reports with foreign countries, aircrafts-in-flight and four aeronautical stations in the country – Laoag, Legaspu, Cebu & Zamboanga began at this year.
  • 1954 – Astronomical Observatory, UP Diliman Campus. Time signals were transmitted seven times daily by radio.
  • 15 July 1954 – Dr. Casimiro del Rosario was appointed Vice Chairman of the NSDB and Mr. Ricardo C. Cruz Chief of the Astronomical Division was appointed OIC.
  • 1 August 1958 - Dr. Roman L. Kintanar was appointed Director of the Weather Bureau. The youngest ever to hold the post anywhere in the government at the age of 29.
  • 1963 – The first weather surveillance radar was installed atop the Marsman Building. It was damage by fire and beyond repair in 1978.
  • 1968 – Computerization of the Weather Bureau and the setting up of a Telemetry System in Marikina River Basin.
  • 1969 – Weather Bureau Central Office moved once again to its new office at the Asiatrust Bldg, Quezon. Ave. Q.C.
  • 1970 - Satellite Meteorology came of age in the Philippines when an Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) system was set-up to intercept photo-transmission of the upper atmosphere by satellite. ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee Secretariat established its headquarters in the Weather Bureau.
  • 1971 – Five new radar stations were linked with the Manila radar station to form the Weather Radar Surveillance Network.
  • 1972 – Establishment of PAGASA under PD 78. PAGASA was transferred from Department of Commerce and Industry to Department of National Defense.
  • 02 June 1977 -  Transfer of the administrative control of the Typhoon Moderation Research and Development Council to PAGASA
  • 17 September 1984 – PAGASA under EO 984 was transferred from Ministry of National Defense (MND)  to National Science & Technology Authority (NSTA)
  • 30 January 1987 - EO No. 128 mandated the reorganization of NSTA now Department and Technology (DOST) in which PAGASA is one of their line agency
  • 01 January 1988 – Pursuant to EO 128, the PAGASA was reorganized consisting of (5) major branches and (3) support units.
  • 15 January 2003 – PAGASA Central Office moved again to a new building and now its permanent headquarters, at the ScienceGarden, Agham Road, Diliman, Quezon City.
  • October 2008 – Pursuant to Executive Order 366 series of 2004, the PAGASA was then re-organized under the Rationalization Program in a goal to make the government focus its efforts on vital/core functions and enhance effectiveness and efficiency of public service. PAGASA was re-organized to 5 technical divisions, 5 Regional Services Divisions and 2 support divisions.