The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) together with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), and  Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) will be test-launching the Community Tsunami Detection and Warning System on December 14, 2012 at the Bolinao Site, Bolinao School of Fisheries, Bolinao, Pangasinan.

   PHIVOLCS and ASTI, agencies both under the DOST, installed the first-ever complete set of the system last  September offshore Bolinao, Pangasinan in the Lingayen Gulf under the DOST-Grant-in-Aid Project “Establishment of a Cost-Effective Local Tsunami Early Warning System for Selected High-Risk Coastal Communities of the Philippines” or the TeWS Project.

   The TeWS project aims to develop and introduce low-cost, low-maintenance but effective tsunami detection and warning system that showcases Filipino scientists’ ingenuity and to capacitate the communities on tsunami preparedness and timely response. The detection system is composed of three types of sensors: wet, dry and ultrasonic sea level.

   The combined PHIVOLCS and ASTI instrumentation team together with the DRRMCs of Dagupan City, Lingayen and Bolinao established the tsunami warning sirens in the barangays of Poblacion in Bolinao, Poblacion in Lingayen and Gueset, Pugaro and Binloc in Dagupan City.

   Highlighting the TeWS Project Lingayen Gulf Detection System Launching , the Ceremonial Demonstration Triggering of the Warning Siren will be led by the DOST , PHIVOLCS Director Renato U. Solidum, Jr, ASTI Director Denis F. Villorente, Bolinao Mayor Alfonso Celeste, Lingayen Mayor Ernesto C. Castaneda, Jr, and Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim.

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TeWS 2011-2013

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PHIVOLCS conducted the first REDAS Advanced Course upon the request of Olongapo City from November 5 to 9, 2012 at the Olongapo City Convention Center. ·The training consisted of two main modules:1) Exposure Database Development and Management and 2) Earthquake and Tsunami Alerting Tool. The training was attended by 27 participants from the city offices and five barangays, schools and Deped. There were also participants from OCD Region 3 and from the cities of Paranaque and Marikina. ·Mayor James Gordon Jr. gave the welcome remarks while PHIVOLCS Deputy Director Bartolome C. Bautista and Olongapo City Disaster Management Office Head Angelito Layug gave the closing remarks.

The highlights of the advanced course are the teaching of the Exposure Database Module (EDM), and the capability to transpose the results of REDAS’ Seismic Hazard Assessment (SHA) to GIS and from GIS format back to REDAS; installation of the Earthquake and Tsunami Alerting Tool; and using SQLite and Spatialite in building risk database. In the way forward discussions, the participants agreed to create a Technical Working Group to develop the plans, strategies and activities in developing the exposure database of the city. Said exposure database will be used in conducting multi-hazard risk assessment for their city. They targeted to submit to PHIVOLCS their first exposure database for a pilot barangay by the first quarter of 2013.

Bolinao, Pangasinan, 19 September 2012. PHIVOLCS and Advance Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) instrumentation team installed the first complete set of Tsunami Detection and System offshore of Bolinao, Pangasinan in the Lingayen Gulf. The system consists of a platform with 15-meter high pole. Attached to this pole are the sea level detection sensors: ultrasonic tide gage sensor designed by ASTI and wet and dry sensors designed by PHIVOLCS. The ultrasonic sensor detects any rise or fall of sea level. The dry sensor submerged in the water detects if the water recedes after an earthquake (a natural sign of a possible tsunami occurrence) and the wet sensor, installed at 1,  5, and 10 and meter height above the sea level will detect if water at a certain level already hit the pole. Tsunami warning sirens will be installed in pilot coastal barangays of Poblacion in Bolinao, Poblacion in Lingayen and Gueset, Pugaro and Binloc in Dagupan City. 

This activity is conducted under the DOST-Grant-in-Aid Project “Establishment of a Cost-Effective Local Tsunami Early Warning System for Selected High-Risk Coastal Communities of the Philippines (TeWS Project)”. The project aims to develop and introduce low-cost, low-maintenance but effective tsunami warning system that display Filipino scientists’ ingenuity and to capacitate the communities on tsunami preparedness and proper, timely response.

Legazpi City, 25 September 2012. The formal signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the DOST-Grant-in-Aid Project “Establishment of a Cost-Effective Local Tsunami Early Warning System for Selected High-Risk Coastal Communities of the Philippines (TeWS Project)” among PHIVOLCS, ASTI, both agencies under the Department of Science and  Technology (DOST), with the Province of Albay, Legazpi City, Municipality of Rapu-Rapu  and Rapu-Rapu Minerals Incorporated (RRMI) was held today, at the Ibalong Conference Hall. 

Under the TeWS Project, PHIVOLCS and ASTI designed and will install a Tsunami Detection and Warning System, composed of 1 set of combined tsunami ultrasonic sea level, wet and dry sensors in Rapu Rapu and 5 warning sirens in selected pilot coastal barangays of Legazpi City. In case of an offshore local earthquake, PHIVOLCS with the 69-station Philippine Seismic Monitoring Network monitors, records and locates earthquakes. Considering the short-time duration between an earthquake event and the tsunami arrival (15 to 30 minutes for Albay Gulf), it is important that almost-real time information is received by the coastal communities. The add-on of this project is that if and when the earthquake is strong enough to generate tsunami, the installed sensors in Rapu-Rapu MI will detect the possible changes in sea level and this will give information to the host LGU. Once signal confirms tsunami waves, the LGU can then trigger the warning siren to warn residents. 

The event was attended by Mayor Geraldine Rosal of Legazpi City, Mayor Nora Onate (Rapu Rapu), Director Renato U  Solidum, Jr of PHIVOLCS, Mr. Gerwin Guba (ASTI), and Jason Lim , Senior Manager (RRMI).

In addition, to ensure that the Legazpi CDRRMC and pilot coastal barangays namely Rawis, Bonot and San Roque where the warning sirens will be installed are properly oriented about the TeWS project and the detection and warning system, a 2-day capacity building session was designed. The 2-day seminar emphasizes basics of earthquakes and tsunami generation, natural signs of approaching tsunami and community-based early warning system. The capacity building activity is a joint effort of PHIVOLCS,  Legazpi City DRRMC and APSEMO.