Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday, February 12 called for a more sustained funding for the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Cayetano, chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology said merely approving a five-year modernization plan for the agency is not sufficient and does not guarantee its success. 

“I don't want us to just pass a specific five-year plan and then not allocate the necessary funds,” Cayetano said. 

Cayetano said modernizing Phivolcs would be advantageous to the state as this will assist the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in its infrastructure program, among others projects.

“Hazard mapping will aid everyone in construction, including where to build and where not to build new roads,” he said.

In a previous Senate hearing on the issue, Phivolcs Director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol had said some local government units (LGUs) are already using the agency’s hazard mapping for their land use planning. 

Under the program, Phivolcs will install 300 earthquake monitoring stations, 82 sea level monitoring stations, complete monitoring systems, geologic hazard maps, a new building with cutting-edge amenities such as research facilities, and an information and communications technology (ICT) server room.

Phivolcs itself had projected the possibility of a 7.2 or a higher magnitude earthquake that may hit Metro Manila and cause 48,000 fatalities. 

The agency had also warned of a massive destruction of infrastructure that could lead to widespread power and communication failures, alongside significant economic losses estimated by the World Bank at P2.5-trillion.

Thus, Cayetano emphasized the need to strengthen Phivolcs and ensure the continuation of its modernization plan as a proactive measure.

“This modernization bill… I think we should really give it all the effort… It will help us in the long-term,” the lawmaker said.