House of Representatives seeks to modernize PHIVOLCS
MANILA- Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda has filed House Bill No. 6921 seeking to modernize the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS).
The PHIVOLCS Modernization Act aims to enhance the capability and human resource complement of the agency to better provide timely and quality information and services for warning, disaster preparedness, and mitigation of events arising from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami and other related geotectonic phenomena.
“There is a need to augment and enhance the monitoring and warning capabilities of PHIVOLCS.”
Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol, the newly appointed director of DOST-PHIVOLCS further explained that the country has 24 active volcanoes and 27 potentially-active volcanoes. Of the 24 active volcanoes, only 10 are currently being monitored, and only two of these 10 are equipped with all the required station types.
"There is a need to increase the density of the Institute’s seismic stations to better understand future earthquake occurrences."
Dr. Bacolcol explained that DOST-PHIVOLCS has also mapped numerous active faults dividing densely populated cities, and in the last 10 years, these faults have generated a total of seven major earthquakes and several strong earthquakes. Adding that many of these earthquakes are damaging. There is, therefore, a need to increase the density of the Institute’s seismic stations to better understand future earthquake occurrences.
The DOST-PHIVOLCS chief also cited that the growth of basic research and number of employees conducting hazard mapping has been hampered by an increasing demand for hazard and risk information from various private companies and government agencies.
He mentioned that various National Government Agencies (NGAs) are also requesting the agency to conduct assessments on various government projects using the technologies that the agency developed. These requests continue to put a dent to an already lean staff of the institute.
These challenges would be addressed through the passage of the PHIVOLCS Modernization Law.
First, the bill mandates the upgrading of DOST-PHIVOLCS equipment, facilities, and system. This will allow the institute to provide useful and more accurate volcanic and seismological data and localized warning and information services to be used in decision-making in disaster preparedness.
Second, the bill also provides better incentives for institute personnel and additional plantilla positions to expand its pool of experts. This includes the creation of a new salary scale, a retention incentive, and an enhanced human resource development program.
If passed into law, the institute will have more volcano and seismic monitoring stations equipped with state-of-art systems and facilities to ensure early warning of volcanic activity and to better understand future earthquake occurrences. This also includes an enhanced technology-based data center consistent with international standards and additional competent personnel to foster a more responsive information dissemination collaboration with the Local Government Units (LGUs) to help in the disaster planning, preparation, and disaster mitigation in the communities.
DOST-PHIVOLCS is a service institute of the department mandated to mitigate disasters that may arise from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami and other related geotectonic phenomena.
Since the creation of the Commission of Volcanology in 1952 under Republic Act No. 766, DOST-PHIVOLCS has gone through several reorganizations through Executive Order 784, series of 1982 involving the transfer to the National Science and Technology Authority (now the Department of Science and Technology) and the transfer of Seismology from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration by Executive Order 984, series of 1982. From a non-staffed Commission, DOST-PHIVOLCS has emerged as an Institute that is more responsive and attuned to the vision of the Philippine government for a resilient community. (30)
