MANILA, Philippines?(UPDATE) The Japanese government has allotted a P1.7-billion (3.350 billion yen) grant to the Philippines to improve the country's weather monitoring and dissemination system in the aftermath of strong typhoons that Metro Manila and surrounding areas last month.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura on Friday signed and exchanged Notes for the Project for Improvement of the Meteorological Radar System, which provides for the aid grant.

Under the project, to be implemented by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration and the Department of Science and Technology (PAGASA-DOST), the country?s three existing Meteorological Radar Systems in Aparri, Cagayan; Virac, Catanduanes; and Guian, Samar, will be replaced with new Doppler (S-band) radar systems, the Foreign Affairs department said.

The Doppler radar systems give a more accurate reading of the weather systems in the country.

By upgrading the Philippines? weather monitoring system, the Japanese government said it hopes to mitigate the damage wrought by tropical cyclones on the lives and properties of Filipinos.

?We hope that these projects will assist the victims of these calamities, and support and strengthen the disaster mitigation efforts of the Philippine Government. As a close friend and neighbor, Japan will continuously support typhoon victims to reconstruct and improve the living environment in the Philippines,? Katsura said.

Tropical Storm "Ondoy" and Typhoon "Pepeng," which struck the country last month, ravaged the island of Luzon.

The rains brought by Ondoy led to the worst flooding in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.

Pepeng, on the other hand, dumped rain on Central and Northern Luzon, which resulted to landslides and floods.