Pagasa Visayas director to retire, sees 39-year career as his destiny

TABADA
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Destiny.

That was how Engineer Oscar Tabada, a chemical engineering graduate, described in one word how he ended up having a fruitful 39-year career as the state weather bureau’s meteorologist.

Tabada, who will be retiring on Oct. 28 as the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Visayas (Pagasa Visayas) director, looked back at how he became a weatherman.

“God is good. Gihatagan ko niya og way or agianan og asa ko nga makatabang sad ko sa tanan. Motoo ko sa destiny og asa gyod ka ibutang (God is good. He gave me a way where I could help all people. I believe in destiny and where God will place one in life),” said Tabada, who is from Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City.

Chemical engineer
He graduated in 1976 as a chemical engineer at then Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT), which is now the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U).

He said that after graduating he would have wanted to teach, but then he wanted more — a job where he could serve more people.

He said he then got interested in climatology or the scientific study of climate and pursued studies relating to the subject matter.

Pagasa job
In 1980, he got a job at the weather bureau in Manila and worked there for 10 years where he learned the tricks of the trade of weather forecasting.

“Nindot, alegre, ganahan ko (It was nice, fun, and I love the experience),” said Tabada, when asked about describing his years in the service.

Ruping greeting
He remembered being reassigned to the Visayas in 1990, and he was greeted with one of the strongest typhoons that hit the country, Typhoon Ruping, which pummeled the Visayas including Cebu with nearly 200 km per hour winds.

He also said that he was also an expert in weather when he was reassigned to Cebu.

“When I was assigned here, kompleto nako (with the knowledge),” he said.

He said that Ruping changed the consciousness of the public, regarding the weather.

“With Ruping, I saw a window of opportunity to make people be conscious about the weather. Before Ruping, they were not weather conscious, but after Ruping they were now more open about learning about the weather,” he said in Cebuano.

He said that this was a good sign that they noticed that the country had a weather bureau that could provide them with information about the weather especially about storms.

As weather specialists, he said that they would not only provide information but also would have to have the passion and dedication to serve the public.

Welcome retirement
Tabada will step down on Oct. 26 (a Friday) as Pagasa Visayas chief since his birthday on Oct. 28 when he will turn 65, which is the mandatory age of retirement, falls on a Sunday.

He also said that he would be looking forward to that day.

He said that he would then have to wake up a little bit late than the usual 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. time for him to get up from bed.

Instead of preparing for weather updates as his early morning routine, Tabada said he would now have time to do a brisk walking and participate Zumba in the afternoon.

He, however, assured that he would remain as a consultant of Pagasa Visayas if they would ever need his help.

Starting next week, October 29, Engineer Alfredo Quiblat Jr., Pagasa Mactan station chief, will sit as an officer-in-charge of the weather bureau’s office in the Visayas.