Historical review of wind speed maps in the Philippines for various purposes: toward further development and use as wind hazard maps under the PICE-DMAPS program

by Benito M. Pacheco, Nicetos E. Rosaria, Ronwaldo Emmanuel R. Aquino, and Lessandro Estelito O. Garciano, 2007, Proceedings of the PICE National Midyear Convention, Davao City, Philippines.

ABSTRACT: Different wind speed maps have been prepared for and used in the Philippines over the last 35 years, partly based on around 40 years of recorded data. These maps are mainly used for disaster reduction efforts (e.g. building/structural code use) or for wind power generation. The paper reviews the history of wind speed maps in the Philippines, and identifies future directions for developing, improving, and updating wind speed maps for the Philippines. In particular, the following are reviewed: the early work by Simiu (1973) which has been the partial basis of the wind zone map in the first four editions of the National Structural Codes up to 1992, the work by Rosaria (2001) which is the basis of the wind zone map in the 2001 National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP), an extreme wind hazard map by Rellin et al (2002) from a branch of the country’s meteorological agency (PAGASA), recent work by Garciano et al (2005), and from three other sources. The next version of Philippine wind speed maps could also be considered as ‘wind hazard maps’ that are in turn part of ‘typhoon hazard maps’ and other maps to be used in ‘typhoon engineering’ and other disaster reduction efforts in the country.

KEYWORDS: Philippines, NSCP, wind speed map, wind zone map, wind hazard map