Republic of the Philippines
Office of the President
PhilSA
Philippine Space Agency
Philippine Standard Time
Monday 20th of September 2021
Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment: A primer on the Philippines’ Next Generation Satellite
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) aims to create value in space by taking advantage of the space environment and by utilizing space data to bring services to the people. The PhilSA demonstrates this value creation through one of its flagship initiatives, the Build, Build, Build in Space (B3iS). The B3iS involves the development of an advanced satellite, leveraging from the country’s microsatellites, DIWATA-1 and -2, and advancing to the next generation satellite, the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment Satellite or MULA.
“The Philippine Space Agency: Using Space Technology in Response to the Changing Climate,” Technical Presentation at the 64th Session of the UN COPUOS
Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Deputy Director General Gay Jane P. Perez presented the technical presentation of the Philippines entitled “The Philippine Space Agency: Using Space Technology in Response to the Changing Climate” for Agenda Item No. 11 (Space and Climate Change) on 01 September 2021 during the 64th Session of the United Nations Committee on […]
Satellite development perspectives from the Philippines and Argentina
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales (CONAE) of Argentina discussed the importance of satellite missions during the Earth Observation Satellite Missions: Perspectives from the Philippines and Argentina webinar held on 12 August 2021. Technical experts and scientists from PhilSA, STAMINA4Space Program, and CONAE exchanged technical expertise, best practices on […]
PhilSA invites everyone to join the rest of the world in honoring “Women in Space” for Space Week 2021
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) is inviting everyone to the informative, educational, and exciting events during the World Space Week (WSW) 2021 happening on 04-10 October. The World Space Week is an annual celebration of space science and technology and its role in promoting and advancing the welfare and development of society. This year’s theme, […]
#PhilippineSatelliteWatch: an overview on the space imaging capabilities of the Filipino
This August, we celebrated the heritage, achievements, and the future of the Filipino. The nation commemorated Buwan ng Wika, with the theme “Filipino at mga Wikang Katutubo sa Dekolonisasyon ng Pag-iisip ng mga Pilipino.” August also marks the establishment of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA); on 09 August 2019, Republic Act 11363 was signed by […]
Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment: A primer on the Philippines’ Next Generation Satellite
“The Philippine Space Agency: Using Space Technology in Response to the Changing Climate,” Technical Presentation at the 64th Session of the UN COPUOS
Satellite development perspectives from the Philippines and Argentina
PhilSA invites everyone to join the rest of the world in honoring “Women in Space” for Space Week 2021
#PhilippineSatelliteWatch: an overview on the space imaging capabilities of the Filipino
Philippine Space Agency
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) is the central government agency addressing all national issues and activities related to space science & technology and applications. Created under Republic Act No. 11363, or the Philippine Space Act, the PhilSA is an attached agency of the Office of the President for purposes of policy and program coordination, and to ensure alignment in national policies and priorities. Read More...
PhilSA is building upon past and current gains in space R&D investments in the Philippines.
The PHL-Microsat program is the country’s first research and development initiative in small satellite systems for scientific Earth Observation (EO). The program successfully launched two 50kg EO microsatellites: Diwata-1 and Diwata-2; and a 1U nanosatellite, Maya-1, which carried an experimental Store-and-Forward (S&F) payload. The program also established capabilities in payload calibration and validation, ground station operation and infrastructure for EO data processing, archiving and distribution. The program was implemented by the University of the Philippines Diliman and the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) with the support of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research & Development (PCIEERD) and Hokkaido University and Tohoku University in Japan.
The Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation and Advancement (STAMINA4Space or S4S) Program succeeds the PHL-Microsat program in further advancing knowhow and local capabilities in small satellite upstream and downstream technologies. Through increased localization of satellite mission planning, bus and payload research & development, ground operations, data processing and distribution activities, the S4S program supports endogenous capacity development that enables a local scientific-industrial base in space science, technology and applications. S4S is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and implemented by the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) and the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD).
The PEDRO Center operates three (3) multi-mission Ground Receiving Stations in the Philippines located in Metro Manila, Davao, and Iloilo. Currently operated by the DOST-ASTI, the PEDRO Center is one of the space infrastructure components intended to be transitioned to the PhilSA in the near term. The facility serves as the gateway to satellite images and other spaceborne data from Philippine Earth Observation (EO) satellites, as well as those from foreign and commercial data providers.
The Computing and Archiving Research Environment (COARE) houses publicly accessible high performance computing, data archiving and science cloud facilities that support high storage and compute-intensive requirements of local and international collaborative scientific research and development initiatives. The facility enables the vision of multiple data integration, fusion, visualization and analysis thatunderpins a vibrant and productive Philippine scientific enterprise.
The DATOS Project produces outputs for data-driven decision support systems. DATOS provides Filipinos and various agencies with advanced, quick, and understandable earth observation data solutions for disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), agriculture, environmental monitoring and maritime domain awareness, among other applications. One of its research thrusts is AI4Mapping, which applies Artificial Intelligence techniques on satellite images for automating nationwide mapping initiatives of the country.
The Digital Imaging for Monitoring and Evaluation or Project DIME aims to promote and utilize geospatial technologies and techniques for achieving near real-time visibility into the implementation of government infrastructure projects. A partnership between the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Project DIME leverages current and emerging capabilities in the application of EO satellites, drones and other platforms to complement and enhance current tools for project monitoring, management and evaluation towards ensuring proper and efficient use of government resources. The PhilSA shall continue to promote the benefits of the program through its space data information infrastructure development initiatives.
The SAR with AIS Project focuses on maritime and terrestrial monitoring using the country's acquired share of the NovaSAR-1 satellite. The official online portal of the project, SIYASAT, provides a secure data archive, visualization and distribution system for radar images and AIS data. The project is heavily involved with mapping activities in partnership with various government agencies.
The National Space Development Program (NSDP) was established to help craft the policy framework for space development and utilization and the proposed national space agency. Commissioned and funded by the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development of the DOST (PCIEERD-DOST), the program conducted studies and stakeholder meetings towards formulating a space R&D, satellite utilization, and data sharing agenda for the country.
The enactment of Republic Act 11363 or the Philippine Space Act established the PhilSA as the central government agency addressing all national issues and activities related to space science & technology and applications.
Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr., was appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the first Director General (DG) of the PhilSA. Dr. Marciano is a Professor at the University of the Philippines Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute where he held the Dado and Maria Banatao Professorial Chair. Prior to the PhilSA, he was the Acting Director of the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI).
Dr. Marciano assumed the office of the Director General of PhilSA upon completing his term at the DOST-ASTI.
As part of the mobilization of the Philippine Space Agency, meetings with members of the Philippine Space Council were held. Coordination and consultations with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Civil Service Commission (CSC) and other government agencies were also conducted to discuss staffing and budget matters.
Executive staff personnel under the Office of the Director General were hired with approval from the Department of Budget and Management.
The PhilSA organized several webinars to mark the occassion of World Space Week 2020.
Activities included a webinar co-hosted with the DFA on Space Policy and Interantional
Cooperation, a media abriefing on space activities together with the S4S, opportunities
for start-ups and technology enterprises in space with the DOST-PCIEERD, and
participation in events hosted by the Space Generation Advisory Council.
Also created under RA 11363, the Philippine Space Council serves as the principal advisory body for the coordination and integration of policies, programs and resources affecting space S&T applications. During this meeting, immediate plans and programs presented by PhilSA were approved.
The Philippine Space Council serves as the principal advisory body for the coordination and integration of policies, programs and resources affecting space S&T applications. The PhilSA seves as the Secretariat to the PSC. During this meeting, immediate plans and programs presented by PhilSA were approved by the PSC.
During the second meeting, the organizational structure and staffing pattern of PhilSA
as approved by the Department of Budget and Management was likewise affirmed by the PSC.
The evolution of PhilSA manpower requirements in the medium to long term were also
presented and discussed.
Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez was appointed as the first Deputy Director General (DDG) of the PhilSA by the Office of the President. Dr. Perez is a Scientist II and Associate Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP-IESM) and also served as the Program Leader of the STAMINA4Space Program. As PhilSA DDG, Dr. Perez is handling the Space Science and Technology portfolio.
