Phivolcs, Smart expand disaster preparedness collaboration
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Natural hazards may be beyond our capability to control, but with predictive understanding and the applicable technology, we can develop measures that, built into a societal framework, can mitigate the effects brought by nature’s wrath and ultimately save lives.
Toward this end, Phivolcs and Smart Communications are pooling their resources, the latter through its network of schools under the Smart Wireless Electronic Engineering Program (SWEEP).
A staunch advocate of disaster preparedness, Smart has been working with Phivolcs in providing selected municipalities with early warning devices called batingaw (local bells fabricated from used/recycled oxygen tanks), communication equipment ranging from satellite phones to handheld radio units, and information leaflets about a community-based early warning system.
By involving SWEEP schools, Smart is confident that a lot more can be done.
“Global warming has made disaster preparedness an even more critical concern. That’s why Smart and PLDT are stepping up their involvement through emergency communications programs and through scientific research,” said Ramon Isberto, Smart Public Affairs Group head.
“By linking up the wide network of SWEEP schools with Phivolcs to research on low-cost remote monitoring systems, we hope to create a vast network of monitoring stations across the country via SWEEP and help improve the disaster preparedness and response program of the country,” says Darwin Flores, community partnerships manager of Smart.
Phivolcs is similarly optimistic that the collaboration will result in far-reaching benefits.
“We will be working with the schools not just in the field of seismology, but also in volcanology and extreme weather hazards,” says Dr. Bartolome Bautista, Phivolcs deputy director.
“Together, we can develop low-cost devices such as rain gauges. We can distribute these to local government units and teach them how to monitor the level of rainfall in their respective communities so that once the threshold level is exceeded, they can immediately advise the people in affected areas to relocate to higher grounds and avoid steep slopes,” he says.
An improvement in earthquake monitoring is also called for. “Right now, we only have 64 seismic stations nationwide to detect ground movement. Ideally, we should have a minimum of 200 stations for better and more accurate monitoring,” reveals Bautista.
According to him, the ultimate goal is for the schools to build their own network that will facilitate interaction and exchange of data such as earthquake location and magnitude, and share the information with Phivolcs. This will give Phivolcs more extensive coverage to generate database, which in turn can be used as basis for conducting earthquake research, improving knowledge about active faults and the potential hazards these present, and in developing measures to reduce the risks.
For its part, Phivolcs will help implement, monitor and evaluate the disaster monitoring projects identified by SWEEP partner schools.
“We will collaborate with Smart and the schools to ensure the success of the projects, and more importantly, we will act as the technical consultants for the projects identified. We can provide testing simulation, comparison against standards, and calibration of prototypes produced by the program,” says Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., Phivolcs director.
“In the long term, we want to include all of these in our earthquake monitoring network. The more sensors we have, the faster we can locate, the better we can get the parameters of an earthquake for our earthquake and tsunami warnings. Given the ideas that can be generated or used by our professors, this partnership is very promising,” adds Solidum.
To get it going, Phivolcs conducted a weeklong introductory course on seismology and seismic observation for professors, department heads and college deans of SWEEP partner schools. Besides a working knowledge, the seminar also gave the academicians an idea of the kind of assistance Phivolcs needs to effectively carry out its mandate.
In a year’s time, the 10 schools represented at the seminar are expected to develop an intensity meter and a digital seismograph, and familiarize themselves with the use and operation of SeisComP (an open-source seismic data acquisition software). The long-term project, within a three-year timeframe, is the installation of a seismograph and a monitoring station.
Each of the schools will also form a SWEEP-Phivolcs project team that will consist of a project coordinator, instrument engineer, civil-geodetic engineer, lead programmer and data communication transmission engineer.
“Our school is excited to be part of this project,” says engineer Eliseo Linog, professor of Electrical Engineering at the Xavier University Cagayan de Oro. “This is a good opportunity for our institution to do community service and make a contribution to society. It will be a university cause with the
Engineer Joseph Karl Salva sees it as a win-win situation: Phivolcs receives much-needed assistance and the
Says engineer Leah Talusig, ECE department head of the University of Baguio: “We can help with information dissemination. We are even willing to host one monitoring station inside our campus.” Having lived through the July 16, 1990 “Luzon killer earthquake” and aware of Baguio’s susceptibility to typhoons and landslides, Talusig is eager to make a difference.
This enthusiasm is shared by engineer Gladys Paciente, college dean of Science and Technology at the Notre Dame of Marbel University in South Cotabato. “We have been on the lookout for projects of this kind that will benefit the community,” she says.
Expect the effects of the Phivolcs-SWEEP partnership to register a magnitude 10.
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