Senator Francis Tolentino has called on the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to make weather advisories easier to understand for the ordinary Filipino.
Tolentino said the agency should use terminologies that can be understood by Filipinos when making updates on earthquake activities or other disasters as this is an effective communication tool during emergencies.
Phivolcs, according to the senator, can switch to vernacular terms to define and differentiate between magnitude and intensity, and other technical terms.
He cited Filipino words such as “pag-uga, pagyanig, paggalaw,” and “paglindol” as possible examples.
“There are many local words that can be used to make it easier for the common Filipino to understand earthquakes,” Tolentino said in his radio program.
The senator stressed that effective communication is crucial since the Philippines is prone to all kinds of natural disasters due to its geographical location.
“In the same way that I have been calling on Pagasa (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) to simplify its weather advisories, I have the same appeal for Phivolcs,” Tolentino stressed.
Both agencies are under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
“This will also help our kababayans plan, prepare, and respond better. Effective communication during disasters can save lives,” the senator said.
Phivolcs Director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, who was Tolentino’s guest in his radio program “Usapang Tol,” accepted Tolentino’s appeal.
According to Bacolcol, the agency has a program called “Danas,” which aims to laymanize scientific terms and warnings.
Bacolcol also confirmed that Phivolcs has monitored more than 200 earthquake sequences linked to the Manila Trench since December 17, including a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that occured in the Ilocos region last December 19.
He added that the Manila Trench, just like the West Valley Fault, is capable of generating a magnitude 8.4 earthquake.