Typologies of Social Media Use During Significant Earthquake Events in the Philippines, 2019-2020: Location, Distance, and Online Engagement

Authors: Ma. Mylene Martinez-Villegas*, Lucille Rose D. Sanico, Jeffrey S. Perez, Charmaine V. Villamil, Melissa Mae P. Tamayo, and Abigail C. Pidlaoan

Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS)

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ABSTRACT: This study used the social media data of PHIVOLCS, a government earthquake monitoring agency, after each of the seven selected significant and damaging earthquakes in the Philippines from 2019-2020, namely, the:</p?

1. 1. 22 April 2019 magnitude (M) 6.1, Central Luzon earthquake;
  2. 27 July 2019 series of earthquakes in Itbayat, Batanes;
  3. October 2019 series of earthquakes in Cotabato and vicinity;
  4. 15 December 2019 M6.9, Davao del Sur earthquake;
  5. 10 May 2020 M6.3, Lubang, Occidental Mindoro earthquake;
  6. 18 August 2020 M6.6, Masbate earthquake; and
  7. 25 December 2020 earthquakes in Calatagan, Batangas.

The comments from the public on the first Earthquake Information posted on PHIVOLCS’ Facebook (Fb) page were analyzed to understand the former’s ever-changing, near real-time reactions and observations of their earthquake experience, and to determine how such Fb posts were used during earthquake events to identify the public’s information needs.

Fb data showed that events felt in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the surrounding regions, whether damaging or not, triggered more public online engagement in terms of daily total likes (DTL), or total followers (TF), and comments (nC), than the damaging earthquake events in Cotabato and Davao del Sur in Mindanao. The Mindanao, Batanes, and Masbate events were not felt in NCR and reported damages were confined within the provinces concerned. Analysis of available Fb data on the geographic location of followers dominantly showed NCR-based followers, which may have resulted in this NCR-dominated perspective in terms of public reporting. This explains the lower numbers of DTL and comments (nC) posted, related to events not felt in NCR and its vicinity. The location of followers and their distance relative to the earthquake epicenters and actual sites affected, for the case of the Mindanao events, were the major contributing factors to the public engagement and the usage patterns observed.

In addition, analysis of comments, especially those that contained location and description of earthquake experience, were potentially useful. This should be explored in future events to quickly determine possible impacts on spatial extent, and equate this with earthquake intensities at specific sites; this may also supplement data for isoseismal map generation as the event unfolds.

Citation:

Martinez-Villegas, M.M, Sanico, L.R.D., Perez, J.S., Villamil, C.V., Tamayo, M.M.P., and Pidlaoan, A.C. Typologies of Social Media Use During Significant Earthquake Events in the Philippines, 2019-2020: Location, Distance, and Online Engagement. PHIVOLCS Open-File Report No. 25-04, 27 pages.