Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said the Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) Modernization Act that was signed into law only recently by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is decidedly a life-saving investment for Filipinos living within the vicinity of active volcanoes.
For Albay, Salceda said, the Phivolcs Modernization Act or RA 12180, is crucial, particularly to Albay since it is under the constant threats of widescale destruction from the eruption of Mayon Volcano. He principally authored the bill and pointed out that recurrent threats of Mayon’s eruption has been among his unspiration in crafting the measure.
Albay is home to the world’s most perfect cone Mount Mayon, which has since time immemorial brought untold destruction to the province. In neighboring Sorsogon, Bulusan Volcano erupted only last Monday, April 28. The entire Philippines is home to 24 active volcanos and over 100 seismic faults.
RA 12180 creates the Phivolcs Modernization Fund exclusively for the agency’s modernization program. It mandates the acquisition or upgrade of state-of-the-art instruments, equipment, facilities, systems and operational techniques with emphasis on volcano, earthquake and tsunami monitoring and warning systems.
The Phivolcs modernization proposal is a significant undertaking for the institute which has been instrumental in saving lives in Albay for decades during Mayon’s eruptions, noted Salceda who ends his nine-year term in Congress in June this year. He is currently running for Albay governorship, that he previously held for nine years, during which time, he championed the disaster risk reduction management program that pioneered the preemptive evacuation and zero-casualty principle.
RA 12180 seeks to enhance the country’s capacity to forecast and issue real-time alerts for eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides. “President Marcos was right in saying this law will help mitigate the impact of natural hazards, a vision we share that puts science at the center of national defense,” Salceda explained.
“I thank the President for making this law a reality,” said Salceda who served as Albay governor from 2007 to 2016, and was globally recognized for turning the province into a model of zero-casualty disaster preparedness. During his previous term, Albay also developed pioneering protocols for evacuation, hazard mapping, and community-based early warning systems.
Salceda ends his term as a legislator in June this year, and is once more gunning for governor of his province this May, with his ‘Global Albay’ Program. He said this time, with RA 12180, ‘Global Albay’ means ‘Global Preparedness.’ “As governor, I lived with the daily threats of Mayon Volcano. We had to be ready every hour, every day. We worked with Phivolcs hand-in-hand, and we built systems that are now being emulated across the country,” he noted.
He credited much of this success to his long-standing partnership with Dr. Renato Solidum, then PHIVOLCS Director and now Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). “Secretary Solidum and I kept Albay safe through eruptions, earthquakes, and lahars,” he added with stress.
“We modernized disaster governance in Albay. Now, we are doing it for the whole country. With him leading the DOST, I know RA 12180 will be implemented with rigor and vision. I also dedicate this law to the late Ed Laguerta, PHIVOLCS’ long-time resident volcanologist stationed in Albay, and the quiet sentinel of Mayon. For decades, he watched over us, issued warnings, and helped ensure we had zero casualties. This law honors that kind of dedication,” he emphasized.
While celebrating the enactment of RA 12180, Salceda renewed his call for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), a proposed legislation he authored to consolidate the country’s fragmented disaster response framework under a single, Cabinet-level agency.
“RA 12180 gives us sharper eyes, but we also need faster hands. I call on Congress and the Executive to finally pass the DDR bill and complete our disaster risk governance structure,” he declared. The proposed DDR law is part of Salceda’s broader legislative agenda on climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, including bills on hazard mapping, green infrastructure, and resilience financing.
“We are building the vital shield this volcanic nation has always needed. And we will do so until no Filipino dies simply because we are unprepared,” Salceda concluded, adding that through information Phivolcs provides on activities of volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geotectonic phenomena, LGUs can better plan ahead and impose restrictions for the safety of the communities.