TACLOBAN CITY – Borongan City has become the first local government unit in Eastern Samar to install a Community Tsunami Alerting System (CTAS), boosting its capability to provide early warnings and protect coastal residents from tsunami threats.
The system, installed in Barangay Poblacion A through a partnership between the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) and the city government, includes a tsunami siren, evacuation plan, and warning signages designed to improve disaster preparedness.
Barangay Poblacion A was selected as the pilot site because of its location along the coastline, making it one of the city’s most vulnerable communities in the event of a tsunami triggered by a strong offshore earthquake.
During the turnover ceremony, City Administrator Atty. Romeo Alexis Devora, representing Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda, said the new alert system would strengthen the city’s disaster preparedness and urged residents to remain vigilant, noting that tsunamis can strike within minutes after a major earthquake.
DOST-PHIVOLCS officials said the project is part of the agency’s continuing efforts to equip vulnerable coastal communities with reliable early warning systems and improve public awareness on tsunami preparedness.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
