The Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) and its partners are strengthening tsunami preparedness among coastal communities through public education, evacuation planning and public-private cooperation, as potential movements along the Manila Trench pose a threat to Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The agency, together with the Alliance for Disaster Resilience and the Private Sector (ARISE) Philippines, the Pasay City government and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), will hold the “Tsunami! Run for Safety” campaign on Oct. 24 at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, in observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day.
The initiative aims to raise public awareness of tsunami risks and encourage communities, government agencies and businesses to prepare for emergencies. It comes as disaster officials emphasize that preparedness requires coordinated response systems, clear evacuation procedures and public understanding of natural warning signs.
DOST-PHIVOLCS Director Teresito C. Bacolcol said tsunami preparedness requires cooperation among government agencies, local governments, the private sector and communities to ensure people can recognize hazards and act quickly.
“Preparedness is a shared responsibility,” he said, emphasizing the need to make information accessible and translate awareness into action.
Office of Civil Defense–National Capital Region Director George F. Keyser said Metro Manila’s earthquake and tsunami contingency plans are designed to work together under one response system, allowing authorities to address tsunami-specific threats without creating a separate response structure.
The region’s earthquake contingency plan serves as the broader framework for coordination, resource mobilization and emergency operations, while its tsunami plan provides specific procedures for coastal evacuation and responses to tsunami warnings and inundation.
“If a tsunami threat follows an earthquake, tsunami-specific actions are integrated into the existing earthquake response architecture while earthquake response operations continue,” Mr. Keyser said.
He said preparedness must also translate into action at the local level, with local government units expected to identify exposed areas, establish evacuation routes and safe areas, and help residents recognize natural warning signs. He cited school retrofitting, wetland conservation and vertical evacuation drills in Las Piñas as examples of preparedness measures.
ARISE Philippines Executive Director Joseph B. Bacareza said the private sector is an essential part of disaster risk reduction because it operates critical infrastructure and must maintain business continuity during emergencies.
ARISE Philippines has 208 member companies and institutions across industries including manufacturing, retail and hospitality. Mr. Bacareza said businesses can contribute through capital investment, disaster risk reduction planning, supply chain continuity, commercial assets and technical support.
Essential goods such as food, medicine and other supplies must remain available during disasters, he said, while commercial facilities can also support emergency operations. Malls, for example, have opened parking areas for public use during flooding, while hotels were used as quarantine facilities during the pandemic.
Mr. Bacareza also cited the Building Resilience Index, a web-based hazard-mapping and assessment framework that helps property developers and banks evaluate building resilience, as one initiative supporting disaster preparedness.
Meanwhile, DOST-PHIVOLCS Director III Ma. Mylene M. Villegas said the agency is working with communities and local governments on public education, tsunami markers, drills and science-based preparedness measures.
DOST-PHIVOLCS is also developing an organized Tsunami Ready program with evaluation and monitoring mechanisms. The agency plans to incorporate the National Tsunami Action Plan, which is being developed through a newly established board, beginning next year.
Ms. Villegas said further work is needed on tsunami hazard-zone and evacuation modeling, affordable alarm systems and the use of indigenous knowledge and adaptive practices in coastal communities.
The Oct. 24 campaign is part of wider efforts to strengthen public awareness and preparedness, particularly in areas that could be affected by tsunami-generating movements along the Manila Trench. — Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba