Sourcebooks on earthquake and volcanic hazards written in Hiligaynon developed through the DANAS (Disaster Narratives) Project were officially turned over to the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas and stakeholders yesterday.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Deputy Director and DANAS Project Leader Dr. Ma. Mylene Villegas said the sourcebooks for Mindanao and Visayas were unveiled during the last week of November, and they are officially turning over the materials for use of UP Visayas.
“We really hope that you will be able to use these materials in various ways. We encourage all of you to actively use the materials that we developed as they were designed to be tools that can be used to significantly enhance our efforts for resilience and understanding of the various hazards,” she said in her message during the turnover.
UP Visayas Chancellor Dr. Clement Camposano said Phivolcs made a very important step towards science communication using the local language.
He said it is significant for agencies like Phivolcs, the Department of Science and Technology, and universities to “learn to appreciate the role of local language and local experiences to make sense of their situation.”
“It’s absolutely crucial that those of us who do science and whose work impacts the life and immediate welfare of our communities have that capacity to connect with these communities. And there is really no other way except to take their experiences as a starting point,” he said.
Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Donna Magno said the sourcebooks explain in layman’s terms the scientific terms related to earthquake and with the case of Panay and Iloilo, the focus was magnitude 8.2 Lady Caycay, which happened on January 25, 1948.
“DANAS Project aims that, through the narratives, people will understand the nature of earthquake and how to use the information based on the stories from resource persons to protect themselves from the earthquake,” she said.
She added that the city government, through the Public Information Office, will reprint the materials for distribution to barangays. (PNA)