Quezon City, Philippines –In order to apprise our stakeholders of the progress, activities, and efforts of the Synthetic Aperture Radar and Automatic Identification System for Innovative Terrestrial Monitoring and Maritime Surveillance (SARwAIS) Project, an annual Stakeholders Meeting is hereby convened. 

In its second year, SARwAIS maintains its purpose of fostering and strengthening the harmony between its stakeholders and partner agencies in order to meet the common goal of collaborative Space Science and Technology R&D for the benefit of the Filipino people. 

The meeting, held on 17 February 2022, was attended by DOST officials, project partners, and stakeholders who discussed current efforts and future initiatives of the project. Also, heads and representatives from the Philippine Space Agency, Philippine Statistics Authority, Laguna Lake Development Authority, and Libmanan Water District graced the event, detailing their respective activities with the SARwAIS Project. 

Among the guests include DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara, DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit, and Philippine Space Agency Director General Joel Joseph Marciano Jr. 

“Today, we celebrate these technological and collaborative milestones with our stakeholders as well as forge future feats both on technology innovation and policymaking. My hope is that this congregation will only further our desire to explore new avenues to use space data for the betterment of society,” said Secretary de la Peña in his message.  

According to PhilSA’s Director General Marciano, Jr., the SARwAIS project really is about is enhancing components of the value chain in space data here in our country. This SARwAIS Project and what they’re doing today is very important. Engagement with clients and stakeholders is critical in creating and adding value to the space data value chain.

“The examples you have seen, our stakeholders from the LLDA, PSA, Libmanan [Water District], our purpose in showing you to them is to make sure that those that are of a similar kind like government agencies, regulatory agencies, and the private sector can have access to the data being generated at ASTI. Our hope is that more and more users will come forward and collaborate with ASTI because we want to maximize our investment in space science and technology,” said Usec. Guevera. 

Last 19 May 2021, DOST-ASTI signed a Memorandum of Agreement with National Security Council to collaborate on the implementation of the SARwAIS Project. In October of the same year, DOST-ASTI, through DATOS Project, PEDRO Center and SARwAIS Project, also signed two separate agreements with Laguna Lake Development Authority and Libmanan Water District. 

The SARwAIS Project, which started in 2018, equipped researchers with a 10% share to data tasking and sharing capabilities of the NovaSAR-1 satellite to enhance terrestrial and maritime monitoring around the country.   

Watch the live stream of the event here.

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About the NovaSAR-1 Satellite 

NovaSAR-1 is a small S-Band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite launched into a 580-km sun-synchronous orbit in September 2018. The earth-observation SAR satellite has multiple features conducive to the Philippines’ atmospheric and climatic conditions. Its SAR capabilities enable it to acquire earth observation data through cloud cover and detect marine structures such as marine vessels and aquaculture systems.  

The AIS receiver payload allows the satellite to collect ship information across the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The agreement allows the Philippines to access the NovaSAR-1 satellite until the lifespan of the spacecraft. 

 

How We Work 

The datasets from the NovaSAR-1 satellite are received through the Philippine Earth Data Resource and Observation (PEDRO) Center, while the secure storage and archiving of the data is coursed through the Computing and Archiving Research Environment (COARE). The data processing and analysis are spearheaded by the researchers from the PEDRO Center and the Remote Sensing and Data Science (DATOS) Help Desk with the utilization of High-Performance Computing resources of DOST-ASTI. 

 

Data Distribution 

The project maintains the SIYASAT Portal which enables partner agencies to task image capture requests for the NovaSAR-1 satellite. Partner agencies can track current and future paths of the NovaSAR-1 satellite to anticipate capture opportunities for their areas of interest.  

By providing details (e.g., image capture mode, area of interest, image capture duration, etc.), users of the portal can submit their task requests.  The requests will undergo validation of tasking priority. Users will then be notified via email if the requested data are all ready for download. 

DOST-ASTI will also undertake capacity transfer training and engagement activities on the utilization of the data for partners in the government and academe in the Philippines. 

 

ABOUT SARwAIS 

The Synthetic Aperture Radar and Automatic Identification System for Innovative Terrestrial Monitoring and Maritime Surveillance (SARwAIS) Project is a directed research and development initiative with funding from the Department of Science and Technology’s Grants-in-Aid. 

Housed under the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), the SAR with AIS Project focuses on terrestrial monitoring and maritime surveillance of high priority areas through simultaneous radar image and automatic identification system (AIS) data acquisition through the NovaSAR-1 satellite, developed by UK-based company Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL). As such, DOST-ASTI now serves as the hub for the SAR with AIS project activities in the country. 

 

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Media Inquiries: 

KATRINA MINA
Project Evaluation Officer, DOST-ASTI
katrina.mina@asti.dost.gov.ph 
+63 915 859 5199 

NEYZIELLE RONNICQUE CADIZ
Sr. Science Research Specialist, DOST-ASTI
neyzielle.cadiz@asti.dost.gov.ph
+63 966 3327175