DOE, Phivolcs integrate hazard data to protect energy sector

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-Phivolcs) have formalized a new partnership to strengthen disaster preparedness in the country’s energy sector through real-time hazard data integration.

On August 12, DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella and Phivolcs Director Teresito C. Bacolcol signed a memorandum of agreement to link GeoRiskPH, Phivolcs’ geohazard mapping platform, with the DOE’s developing Energy Disaster Information Management System (EDIMS).

The integrated system will merge GeoRiskPH’s hazard maps, risk profiles, and exposure data with EDIMS’ disaster monitoring capabilities, allowing authorities to quickly identify threats to power plants, transmission lines, fuel depots, and other critical energy infrastructure.

This data sharing is expected to guide resilient infrastructure design, enhance public safety, improve inter-agency coordination, and support smarter investments in the energy sector.

“Our energy resilience is only as strong as its weakest link,” Fuentebella said. “Integrating robust scientific data into our resilience planning is paramount to improving the reliability of power and fuel for Filipinos, especially as climate change intensifies.”

He added that the collaboration with DOST-Phivolcs is part of forging “a path towards a safer, more secure Philippines, where energy remains a reliable, sustainable, and safe lifeline for all.”

The initiative builds on the agencies’ earlier collaboration in 2018 for the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS), which has been credited with enabling faster post-earthquake damage analysis and reducing downtime for critical facilities.

Unlike REDAS, which focused on seismic events, the new integration expands hazard coverage to include volcanic activity, landslides, flooding, and other climate-related threats.