PHIVOLCS received a grant worth P2.2 million (US$38,000) from the government of Finland to finance the design of the said system.
'We hope to deploy this system in Lubang, Mindoro within the year and if this will be very good, we will be looking for grants to expand the project,' said PHIVOLCS director Dr. Renato Solidum during the opening Monday of the Department of Science and Technology's (DoST) National Science and Technology Week.
PHIVOLCS plans to use this 'tsunami sensor' along with a previously developed tool called Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS), a mapping software that allows disaster experts to monitor and assess the extent of damage brought about by natural disasters including earthquakes, floods and landslides.
By combining both systems, PHIVOLCS hopes to create a system that would allow it to forecast the occurrence of a tsunami more accurately and thus, be able to issue appropriate warnings early on.
REDAS has been in development since 2002. The project received funding of around A$2 million (US$1.5 million) from the Australian government's AUSAID program. The software has been distributed to local government units (LGUs) for free since last year.
The software helps disaster managers decide and prioritize the deployment of timely rescue and relief operations, said PHIVOLCS deputy director Dr. Bartolome Bautista, noting that LGUs have received training on how to use the software properly.
REDAS is part of a multi-hazard assessment project that PHIVOLCS is currently implementing, with funding support from DOST and foreign grants. PHIVOLCS is targeting to implement the system in at least 40 provinces by the end of this year.