The Philippines is positioning itself at the forefront of space technology utilization for disaster management and governance enhancement as it hosts the 31st Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), the region's premier annual space gathering.
Space Technology for National Resilience
During a media briefing on Friday, November 21, 2025, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Deputy Director General Gay Jane Perez emphasized the critical timing of this forum for the archipelago nation, which regularly confronts severe typhoons, flooding, and climate-related emergencies.
"Space provides us with this unique perspective that offers nationwide coverage and enables remote measurements from inaccessible regions," Perez explained at the event held in Shangri-La Mactan, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu.
She highlighted how this technological advantage translates to practical benefits: "In the future, we can improve our planning and accelerate our response times. These are the key objectives we're pursuing."
Presidential Endorsement and Satellite Development
The forum gained significant momentum with the participation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who unveiled the administration's upcoming flagship satellite initiative: the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (Mula), destined to become the country's largest satellite.
In his address, President Marcos stressed that space technology must deliver tangible benefits to communities facing climate and disaster vulnerabilities. "Space must serve the people," he declared, noting that satellite data and space-enabled tools have become indispensable for governance, environmental conservation, and disaster resilience.
The President detailed PhilSA's ongoing work to provide government agencies with satellite-based intelligence and highlighted the Mula satellite's potential to support agriculture, environmental surveillance, and disaster risk mitigation.
Expanding Partnerships and Emerging Challenges
The weeklong conference enabled the Philippines to access regional expertise, cutting-edge technologies, and international best practices. Perez noted that combining satellite information with ground data creates a "highly powerful" resource for disaster response, agricultural planning, and governance.
Delegates reviewed progress from APRSAF's five specialized working groups:
- Space applications
- Space frontier exploration
- Space education for all
- Space policy and legal frameworks
- Space industry development
Perez referenced ongoing initiatives like CH4RISE, which monitors agricultural methane emissions. "Agricultural practices unfortunately contribute significantly to carbon emissions, so we need to manage this effectively," she stated.
The forum also addressed novel topics ranging from astronaut health and space medicine to cultural projects such as an "Asian kitchen in space."
Space sustainability emerged as a pressing concern, with the increasing satellite population making collision prevention and asset protection urgent priorities. "We must ensure our space assets remain secure and avoid collisions," Perez emphasized.
New Collaborative Agreements
PhilSA solidified three significant partnerships during the event:
- Star Signal Solutions (Japan) for space situational awareness cooperation
- University of Southern Pennsylvania for human resource development
- Space Generation Advisory Council for youth space awareness programs
President Marcos also acknowledged collaborations like the Copernicus Data Centre, underscoring the Philippines' commitment to ensuring "outer space remains a domain of responsible stewardship."
