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Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology

Coordinates: 14°39′07″N 121°03′31″E / 14.652026°N 121.05854°E / 14.652026; 121.05854
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Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
Surian ng Pilipinas sa Bulkanolohiya at Sismolohiya
Map
Agency overview
FormedSeptember 17, 1982
(43 years ago) (1982-09-17)
Preceding agencies
  • Commission on Volcanology (COMVOL)
  • Philippine Institute of Volcanology (PHIVOLC)
JurisdictionPhilippines
HeadquartersC.P. Garcia Avenue, UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City
14°39′6.94″N 121°3′30.68″E / 14.6519278°N 121.0585222°E / 14.6519278; 121.0585222
Employees208 (2024)[1]
Annual budget₱1.057 billion (2026)[2]
Agency executive
  • Usec. Teresito C. Bacolcol, Director
Parent agency
Department of Science and Technology
Websitewww.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph
PHIVOLCS Observatory at Mount Hibok-Hibok.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS, Filipino: [ˈfivolks]; Filipino: Surian ng Pilipinas sa Bulkanolohiya at Sismolohiya[3]) is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide information on the activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, as well as other specialized information and services primarily for the protection of life and property and in support of economic, productivity, and sustainable development. It is one of the service agencies of the Department of Science and Technology.

PHIVOLCS monitors volcano, earthquake, and tsunami activity, and issues warnings as necessary. It is mandated to mitigate disasters that may arise from such volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other related geotectonic phenomena.[4]

History

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This government organization was formed after a historical merging of official functions of government institutions.

One of its first predecessors is the Philippine Weather Bureau created in 1901[5] when meteorological, seismological and terrestrial magnetic services of the Manila Observatory were transferred from the Roman Catholic Church to the American Colonial Government. It performed earthquake monitoring in the country and has inherited and maintained the early earthquake catalogue at that time. By 1972, the Philippine Weather Bureau was reorganized under Presidential Decree No. 78[6] into the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). A United Nations Development Programme-funded project for PAGASA established a twelve-station earthquake monitoring network in the country.

In February 1951, Dr. Jose M. Feliciano, Chair of the Division of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) presented a proposal for the creation of a Commission on Volcanology. The eruption of Mount Hibok-Hibok in December 1951 and the consequent destruction and loss of lives led to the closer cooperation by the Geology, Seismology, and Volcanology Section, committee on Volcanology of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, to study volcanoes in the Philippines.[7] This collaboration let to the enactment of Republic Act No. 766[8] on June 20, 1952 that created the Commission of Volcanology (COMVOL). This Commission was placed under NRCP and its office was initially set up in the College of Liberal Arts in UP Diliman.[7] Under Executive Order No. 784 of March 17, 1982, the umbrella department of COMVOL, the National Science Development Board (NSDB) was reorganized into the National Science and Technology Authority (NSTA), and COMVOL was restructured to become the Philippine Institute of Volcanology or PHIVOLC.[9]

The seismological arm of PAGASA was officially transferred to PHIVOLC[10] on September 17, 1984 through Executive Order No. 984, renaming the institute as the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS.[11] The NSTA, the umbrella department for PHIVOLCS and PAGASA, became the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in 1987. The technical staff and the 12-station earthquake monitoring network was fully integrated to PHIVOLCS in 1988.

PHIVOLCS and the United States Geological Survey collaborated during the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Their forecast provided the timely evacuation of military personnel and residents that were affected by the eruption.[12]

PHIVOLCS was headed by Raymundo Punongbayan from 1982 to 2002,[13] and it was headed by Renato U. Solidum Jr. from 2003 to 2023.

Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol was appointed as the new Director and took his oath on January 23, 2023, with Secretary of Science and Technology Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. in Quezon City.[14]

In April 2025, President Bongbong Marcos signed a law measure modernizing the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to improve its technological operational capacity.[15][16]

Monitoring

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Map of the Philippine Seismic Network (As of 2025)

Earthquakes

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The PHIVOLCS currently operates 128 seismic stations as part of the Philippine Seismic Network (PSN)[17] through the Seismological Observation and Earthquake Prediction Division (SOEPD) in order to monitor earthquakes within the Philippine region. The PSN also has 2 regional cluster monitoring stations separate from the Luzon cluster, PVCMCET (PHIVOLCS Visayas Cluster Monitoring Center for Earthquake and Tsunami)[18] and PMCMCET (PHIVOLCS Mindanao Cluster Monitoring Center for Earthquake and Tsunami)[19], which was established for faster data acquisition and redundancy in case of disruption.

The agency provides earthquake data on its epicenter, magnitude, hypocenter, intensity, and focal mechanism along with the possibility of tsunami occurrence[20], which is utilized for information dissemination and to formulate appropriate disaster preparedness plans.

Volcanoes

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PHIVOLCS operates 6 volcano observatories under 24-hour monitoring through the Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division (VMEPD).[21]





Classification of volcanoes in the Philippines

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In 1984, pyroclastic flows descend the south-eastern flank of Mayon Volcano, the most active volcano in the Philippines

PHIVOLCS classifies volcanoes as active, potentially active, or inactive:[22]

Active

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Main article: List of active volcanoes in the Philippines
Mt. Isarog, a potentially active volcano in the Phillppines

Potentially active

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Mt. Arayat, a potentially active volcano in the Philippines.
Main article: List of potentially active volcanoes in the Philippines
  • Active solfataras, fumaroles, or steaming activity
  • Geologically young, possibly erupted < 10,000 years and for calderas and large systems, possibly < 25,000 years.
  • Young-looking geomorphology (thin soil cover or sparse vegetation; low degree of erosion and dissection; young vent features; with or without vegetation cover).
  • Suspected seismic activity.
  • Documented local ground deformation.
  • Geochemical indicators of magmatic involvement.
  • Geophysical proof of magma bodies.
  • Strong connection with subduction zones and external tectonic settings.

Inactive

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Main article: List of inactive volcanoes in the Philippines
  • No record of eruption and its form is beginning to change by the agents of weathering and erosion via formation of deep and long gullies.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Department of Budget and Management. "Staffing Summary Fiscal Year 2024" (PDF). Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  2. ^ "M. PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF VOLCANOLOGY AND SEISMOLOGY" (PDF). Department of Budget and Management. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  3. ^ Narvaez, Eilene Antoinette; Macaranas, Edgardo, eds. (2013). Mga Pangalan ng Tanggapan ng Pamahalaan sa Filipino (PDF) (in Filipino) (2013 ed.). Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. p. 30. ISBN 978-971-0197-22-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  4. ^ "About PHIVOLCS". PHIVOLCS website. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  5. ^ Soliven, Preciosa S. (July 21, 2011). "The Jesuit Manila Observatory, 1865-2011 (Part I)". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  6. ^ "PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 78 ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE ATMOSPHERIC GEOPHYSICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION". www.officialgazette.gov.ph. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  7. ^ a b NRCP at 75 : bringing great ideas to life. Bicutan, Taguig City: National Research Council of the Philippines. 2009. ISBN 978-971-813-005-6. OCLC 502876304.
  8. ^ "Republic Act No. 766 : REPUBLIC ACTS - PHILIPPINE LAWS STATUTES and CODES". laws.chanrobles.com. June 20, 1952. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  9. ^ "EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 784 REORGANIZING THE NATIONAL SCIENCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND ITS AGENCIES INTO A NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES". www.officialgazette.gov.ph. March 17, 1982. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Bankoff, Greg (2003). Cultures of Disaster: Society and Natural Hazards in the Philippines. Psychology Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-7007-1761-3. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  11. ^ "EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 984 TRANSFERRING THE PHILIPPINE ATMOSPHERIC, GEOPHYSICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY, PROVIDING FOR ITS REORGANIZATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES". www.officialgazette.gov.ph. September 17, 1984. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  12. ^ Rinard Hinga, Bethany D. (March 17, 2015). Ring of Fire: An Encyclopedia of the Pacific Rim's Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes: An Encyclopedia of the Pacific Rim's Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes. ABC-CLIO. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-61069-297-7. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  13. ^ "Raymundo S. Punongbayan, 68; Leading Volcanologist". Los Angeles Times. May 6, 2005. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  14. ^ DOST-PHIVOLCS. (2023). DOST-PHIVOLCS Names Its New Director.
  15. ^ Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (April 25, 2025). "Marcos OKs Phivolcs' modernization". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  16. ^ Bolledo, Jairo (April 26, 2025). "Marcos approves P7-billion Phivolcs modernization program". Rappler. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  17. ^ "Earthquake Monitoring System". DOST-PHIVOLCS. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  18. ^ "PRESS RELEASE: DOST-PHIVOLCS establishes the Visayas Cluster Monitoring Center for Earthquake and Tsunami in San Fernando, Cebu". DOST-PHIVOLCS. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Press Release: DOST-PHIVOLCS Introduces Its First Cluster Center for Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring". DOST-PHIVOLCS. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  20. ^ "PHIVOLCS TSUNAMI INFORMATION". DOST-PHIVOLCS. May 4, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "Volcano Monitoring Networks". DOST-PHIVOLCS. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  22. ^ "Volcano General Information: Classification of Volcanoes". Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
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