Phivolcs to install more tsunami sensors in PH
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it will add more tsunami gauges in the country to provide a more accurate alerts and information on such events.
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. on Thursday said they were in talks with five local government units to place Phivolcs-designed tsunami sensors on their coastlines.
He declined to name the LGUs, noting that they want to be sure they can take care of the tsunami wet sensors first.
The sensors, which are designed to calculate the height of the waves, are equipped to send real-time data to Phivolcs in Manila.
Solidum said the equipment would be crucial in determining where the waves would hit and its size, which could give residents in at-risk areas some time to leave the shore.
Solidum said local governments units should be prepared to maintain and guard the sensors. While the equipment are not expensive, he noted that the agency do not want the sensors to be gutted for their metal. “There should be a sense of ownership,” Solidum said.
The Phivolcs chief said they are eyeing to place the first five tsunami sensors in towns facing South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
He also noted that they have asked the Department of Science and Technology to upgrade the wave monitors maintained by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority in the Pacific to be able to capture and send real-time data.
But Solidum stressed that scientific equipment are not enough in saving lives in the event of dangerous tidal waves. “It should be in tandem with community awareness,” he said. Phivolcs considers tidal waves more than 1 meter high to be potentially destructive.
The Phivolcs director said they were intensifying its tsunami awareness and preparedness campaign starting with schoolchildren.
The agency has drafted preparedness materials in partnership with UNESCO to teach information materials on tsunami. Phivolcs would also train teachers in tsunami preparedness, Solidum added.
Solidum said the materials focus on children as they are the most vulnerable in the event of tidal waves and earthquakes. They also have a “multiplier effect” as they can teach their families and friends on what to do, he added.
“If a child learns how to be able to protect oneself during a strong earthquake, this is a lifelong skill that he will bring until he grows older,” Solidum explained.
