Twenty-two researchers from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) joined the first Asia Oceana Geosciences Society and European Geosciences Union’s Joint Conference held at Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay on February 5-8, 2018. A total of 23 research studies was presented through oral and poster parallel sessions with themes “Black Swan and Grey Swan events”, “Natural Hazards in the Megacity”, “Natural hazard communications, warning and Monitoring”, and “Single Hazard Case Studies”. Among the research studies presented are the results of the assessments of the 10 February 2017 Surigao Earthquake and 06 July 2017 Leyte Earthquake, Landslide Warning and Monitoring developments, Volcano Monitoring parameters and updates, and the newly released Philippine Earthquake Model.

The conference, with the theme “New Dimension for Natural Hazards in Asia”, was attended by 155 foreign researchers from Asia, Europe and America, and 58 local researchers. The conference was not just limited to research presentations, but also includes panel and breakout discussions. Among the topics discussed in the panel discussions are Space-Based Technologies, Science and Insurance, Stochastic, deterministic and heuristic approaches to natural hazards, and Civil Defense and Geological Disaster in the Philippine Perspective. The breakout discussions on the other hand, focused on science research ethics after the disaster, hazards mitigation, warning-systems, and policy-making, and challenges in natural hazards research.

Aside from the presentations, PHIVOLCS also led the Taal Volcano Fieldtrip on February 5, which includes trips at the Taal Volcano Observatory and Taal Volcano Main Crater Lake.

Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division (WMEPD) Chief Mariton V. Bornas tours foreign AOGS participants at the Taal Volcano Observatory (TVO).

PHIVOLCS researchers explain the result of their studies through oral presentations.

(Clockwise from upper left) Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, Dr. Arturo Daag, Dr. Paul Alanis, and Dr. Ma. Leonila Bautista discusses with other participants the result of their research

(Clockwise from upper left) Ms. Ma. Isabel Abigania, Ms. Kathleen Papiona, Ms. Jayvie Nadua, Ms. Analyn Aquino, and Ms. Margarita Dizon, explains the results of the investigations done on the subsequent earthquakes of 2017, as well as the improvement on PHIVOLCS mapping systems.

Junior researchers from PHIVOLCS (from upper left: Deo Carlo Llamas, Kimberley Vitto, Concepcion Barairo, Daniel Buhay and Robelyn Mangahas) enthusiastically present their studies to other researches during their first AOGS conference.

Improvements on warning, monitoring, and mapping of deep-seated landslides under the DOST Dynaslope Project was explained by (from upper left) Earl Anthony Mendoza, Brian Anthony Gumiran, and Nathan Azriel Veracruz.

Dr. Ma. Leonila P. Bautista joins the panel in the discussion of “Civil Defense and Geological Disasters: the Philippine Perspective”.