PHIVOLCS Gives UP Visayas Hiligaynon Hazard Books

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) turned over two sourcebooks on earthquake and volcanic hazards written in Hiligaynon to the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) on Feb. 4, 2025.

Deputy Director Dr. Ma. Mylene Martinez-Villegas led the turnover of the materials, titled Paglaragway sa mga Katalagman sang Linog and Sourcebook on the Descriptions of Kanlaon Volcanic Hazards in Hiligaynon and Cebuano.

The sourcebooks aim to benefit various sectors, particularly the academe, media, and local governments.

They are part of the DANAS Project (Earthquake, Tsunami, and Volcano Disaster Narrative for an Experiential Knowledge-Based Science Communication), a PHIVOLCS initiative in collaboration with UPV and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU).

The materials contain scientific information on earthquake and volcanic hazards, along with firsthand accounts from Hiligaynon and Cebuano-speaking survivors of ground shaking, tsunamis, landslides, ashfall, lahar, and pyroclastic flows.

During the turnover ceremony at the UPV Little Theater, Villegas highlighted the project’s integration of science, communication, and local languages to make hazard information more accessible to the public.

UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano, in his acceptance speech, said the sourcebooks support the university’s advocacy of producing and disseminating scientific information in local languages. (Written by Asst. Prof. Ramil Atando, Component Leader, DANAS Project)