PHIVOLCS, Rappler partner for increased disaster awareness
INCREASED AWARENESS. PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum, with Rappler Managing Editor Glenda Gloria, MovePH Director Zak Yuson, MovePH Coordinator Voltaire Tupaz, and Research and Content Strategy Head of Rappler Gemma Bagayaua - Mendoza during the MOU signing. Photo by LeAnne Jazul/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Located along the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," the Philippines is as vulnerable to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other geohazards as it is to typhoons and flooding.
Yet much needs to be done to educate the public about these hazards and what they need to do to improve their chances of survival should such hazards strike.
To improve the way critical information – including scientific information on hazards and risks – is communicated to the general public, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and Rappler agreed to combine efforts via Project Agos.
Project Agos is a platform that combines top-down government action and bottom-up civic engagement to help communities deal with climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. It harnesses technology to maximize the flow of critical data before, during, and after a disaster. It is operated by MovePH, Rappler's civic engagement arm. (Read: #ProjectAgos: One-stop shop for climate change)
As part of the agreement, Phivolcs agreed to share data on geohazards with Rappler, including hazard and risk maps, for dissemination to the public via the Project Agos Disaster Information platform.
Rappler agreed to use the data shared by Phivolcs to produce and publish content that will help explain and increase the public’s understanding of geohazards and risks associated with those hazards. Rappler also agreed to consult Phivolcs regarding the proper interpretation and display of the scientific data to avoid misinterpretation.
Watch this report below.
Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum signed the MOU on behalf of the agency, while Rappler Managing Editor Glenda Gloria signed for Rappler.
Before the MOU signing, Rappler Investigative Editor Chay Hofileña interviewed Solidum on #TalkThursday: Metro Manila earthquake scenarios.
This is not the first time Rappler partnered with a government institution in handling critical official data. During the May 2013 elections, Rappler sponsored the Rappler mirror server in order to help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) deliver real time results for TV stations and civil society groups involved in poll watching. – Rappler.com
Visit Project Agos for updates on efforts being done to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.
Other Rappler stories on earthquakes in the Philippines:
