Notice is hereby given that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) thru the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) will conduct Public Consultation/Hearing on the Proposed Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10344 otherwise known as the “Risk Reduction and Preparedness Equipment Protection Act” on May 20, 2013, 1:00 pm, Amihan Conference Room PAGASA Science Garden, Quezon City.

For more details, please call Ms. Venus R. Valdemoro, Information Officer, (PAGASA) at Tel. Nos. (02) 434-2696 and 09475727800.

The latest version of REDAS which allows users to estimate earthquake impacts was introduced for the first time to 17 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) from Regions II, III and XI who participated in the latest REDAS training entitled "Capacity Enhancement of Academic Researchers on Hazard, Risk Assessment and Exposure Database Development through the Use of the REDAS Software". From Region III, the SUCs were Central Luzon State University (6), Aurora State Colleges of Technology  (3), Bataan Peninsula State University (3), Bulacan Agricultural State College (3), Pampanga Agricultural College (3), Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (3) and Tarlac College of Agriculture (3). From Region II, participating SUCs were Isabela State University (4), Cagayan State University (3), Quirino State University  (2), Nueva Vizcaya State University (2) and Batanes State College (1). From Region XI, participants came from Davao Oriental State College of Science and Trade (DOSCST) (3), University of the Philippines- Mindanao (3), Southern Phlippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) (3),  Davao del Norte State College (DNSC) (3) and University of South-Eastern Philippines (USEP) (6). There were also participants from regional offices of OCD and DOST as well as from San Roque Power Corporation and Magat Dam (NIA).  A total of 73 participants attended. It was held at CLSU, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija from March 3 to 8, 2013. 

The highlight of the training was the teaching of earthquake risk calculation for the first time from among any of the REDAS batches. The training was funded by PCIEERD-DOST and CHED. The training is under a project called "Regional Disaster Science and Management S&T Capacity Development" whose aims are: 1) To strengthen the disaster science regional capacity through the State Universities and Colleges; 2)  To establish regional and provincial hazard exposure databases; 3) To conduct regional and provincial risk assessments, and; 4) To establish inventory database of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation studies and hazard maps.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) hosted the “4th Workshop and Joint Coordination Committee Meeting” on the initiatives under the Enhancement of Earthquake and Volcano Monitoring and Effective Utilization of Disaster Mitigation Information in the Philippines project on March 14, 2013 at the PHIVOLCS auditorium.

This project collaboration between PHIVOLCS and National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) and funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)—Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), is essentially to look at science and technology application for sustainable development or the SATREPS program, said Dr. Renato U. Solidum, PHIVOLCS Director.

“This will be a very good opportunity for all of us to share among our research colleagues what we have been doing,” added Director Solidum.

PHIVOLCS and Japan agencies’ personnel and project leaders presented in a session the partial accomplishments and outputs under the categories Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring, Evaluation of Earthquake Generation Potential, Integrated Real-time Volcano Monitoring, Disaster Mitigation Information and Discussion on JFY2013 and 2014 Plan.

“Having already completed half of the project period…, the project will continue to do collaborative research that would benefit both the governments of the Philippines and Japan, not only in terms of research outputs but as well as capacity enhancement for both Japanese And Filipino researchers,” said Ms. Sachiko Takeda of JICA Philippine Office.

“We expect that the upgrading of systems will be totally completed and thus will result to obtaining and sharing of accurate and real time earthquake, tsunami and volcano information through the operationalization of the portal site,” she added.

There were 71 attendees from the said collaborating agencies, and Japan Meteorological Agency, Kyoto University, Kochi University, Nagoya University, Geographical Survey Institute of Japan, US Geological Survey, The National Center for Scientific Research, The Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, Office of Civil Defense, International Technology Cooperation Unit, and Commission on Audit.

Representatives from the local government of Parañaque City underwent a capacity-building on Community-based Tsunami Early Warning System conducted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on March 12-13, 2013 at the city’s Saint Andrew Cathedral’s Hall.

The Establishment of a Cost-Effective Local Tsunami Early Warning System for Selected High-Risk Coastal Communities of the Philippines (TeWS) project, where the said capacity-building falls under, mainly aims a) to develop, fabricate and install GSM-activated warning sirens in high-risk coastal communities; and b) to train and educate stakeholders on how to use the early warning system and how to respond properly during tsunami emergencies.

Under the project, PHIVOLCS and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute ASTI previously installed tsunami warning sirens along the city’s coastal barangays prone to hazards brought about by tsunamis.

PHIVOLCS gave an overview of the TeWS project and how the system works, and lectured on earthquake, tsunami and their hazards, and facilitated workshops on Basic Tsunami Hazards Map Reading, Preparing the Barangay Spot Map and Barangay Tsunami Evacuation Map and a Focus Group discussion on community preparedness for tsunami hazards. 

 The participants representing the Paranaque CDRRMC, DOST-NCR, OCD-NCR, and barangays Tambo, Don Galo, La Huerta, and San Dionisio presented and discussed their outputs on the Barangay Spot Map and Evacuation Map, and came up with recommendations to mobilize evacuation information and improve communication system for their own coastal barangays.