TACLOBAN CITY — The Borongan City government is intensifying efforts to strengthen tsunami awareness and disaster preparedness through closer collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST–Phivolcs).
City officials recently met with Phivolcs representatives to plan activities related to World Tsunami Awareness Day and to enhance the city’s strategies for earthquake and tsunami preparedness. The meeting was organized by the city government through its City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
During the meeting, Phivolcs representatives presented proposed programs aimed at strengthening public information campaigns, improving scientific awareness, and boosting community readiness in Borongan.
Among those present were Senior Science Research Specialist Charmaine Villamil and Science Research Specialist Rygin Joy Matias, both involved in the World Tsunami Awareness Day campaign.
Representatives from the capacity development for monitoring and information dissemination of earthquake, tsunami, and volcano project also attended, including deputy team leader Yoko Ota and project staff member Tin Derafera.
The initiative is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Officials from the DOST in Eastern Samar, led by Provincial Science and Technology Director Arnaldo Amosco, also joined the meeting, along with representatives from Eastern Samar State University in Borongan, local government offices, barangay leaders, and partner agencies.
Representatives from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Red Cross, Bureau of Fire Protection, the Philippine Army’s 63rd Infantry Battalion, CoPE Inc., and the Workers Association of Borongan City also participated in the discussions.
As part of the initiative, DOST–Phivolcs proposed holding an earthquake and tsunami hazards and community preparedness seminar in the city from July 28 to 30, 2026.
The three-day seminar aims to equip local officials, emergency responders, and community leaders with updated scientific knowledge, hazard assessment tools, and practical response strategies to improve disaster readiness.
Borongan Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda expressed full support for the program, stressing that tsunami threats should be treated as real and recurring risks based on historical records and scientific data.
Agda said the city government is ready to host the proposed activity and encouraged wider participation, particularly from barangay officials, to strengthen disaster preparedness at the grassroots level.
The mayor also thanked DOST–PHIVOLCS and JICA for their continued support, noting that sustained collaboration among national agencies, international partners, and local stakeholders remains vital in strengthening Borongan’s disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
