In a country where disaster drills are routine and hazard maps are a necessity, Region IX’s (Zamboanga Peninsula) Regional Science and Technology Week (RSTW) chose to turn the stage into a full-scale blueprint for resilience.
This year, Zamboanga became the center of the Handa Pilipinas Mindanao Leg, the first time the event was hosted in the peninsula.
The showcase gathered scientists, local government units (LGUs), and policy leaders to highlight how science and technology can move beyond the exhibit halls.
‘This is the first time for us to host the Mindanao Leg of Handa Pilipinas,’ said DOST IX Acting Regional Director Jennifer Pidor during the press conference. ‘We really touch base with our local government units, which is the very essence of Handa Pilipinas, because our LGUs are partners.’
Region IX opted to anchor its RSTW entirely on Handa Pilipinas, streamlining every exhibit, talk, and activity around disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (DRRM-CCA).
‘The focus here is only Handa Pilipinas,’ said Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. ‘All exhibits are related to disaster. That’s what makes it unique, so people won’t be confused about what they’re seeing and learning.’
Beyond the exhibits
BUT the bigger goal, science officials said, is to make sure the lessons outlive the event.
‘The very true measure of success of Handa Pilipinas is not just on the number of participants but on the number of partnerships forged,’ Pidor said. ‘If you see earlier, one of the highlights was the 43 LGUs who have adopted Redas already.’
The Redas (Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System), developed by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), helps local governments simulate hazard scenarios and craft more targeted response plans.
From 2023 to 2024, data from DOST showed that 74 of 75 LGUs in the Zamboanga Peninsula completed Redas training. Only one remains, Pidor noted, but ‘they’ve already committed to be trained one-on-one.’
The adoption is being institutionalized. Following the passage of Regional DRRM Council IX Resolution 16, 43 LGUs have passed local ordinances and signed agreements to integrate Redas into their disaster response and emergency preparedness plans.
And the shift isn’t limited to simulations. DOST IX and Phivolcs have begun installing Community Tsunami Alerting Stations in coastal provinces, setting up a Sea Level Monitoring Station in Tabina, and preparing new Earthquake Monitoring Stations in Isabela City and Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte.
During the second quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill in Dipolog City last June, the region rolled out its Mobile Command and Control Vehicle, a roving hub for communication and coordination during emergencies.
Drone mapping and training programs are also underway, expanding local capacity for real-time monitoring and rapid damage assessment.
‘These kinds of engagements are what we want to sustain,’ said DOST Undersecretary Sancho Mabborang. ‘We don’t just come here to celebrate. The idea is to turn these discussions into long-term collaborations, to solve real problems as determined by local leaders.’
Building a smarter Zambo
THAT continuity is also visible in grassroots projects.
The Automated Water-Level and Rain Monitoring Using Near-Real Time Observation (ALeRTO) RF Project, developed by Ateneo de Zamboanga University and supported by DOST IX, is developing a decentralized flood early-warning system using local sensors and servers.
Moreover, GeoRisk Philippines, a multi-hazard risk assessment platform, is now serving more than 1,600 LGUs nationwide. With a few clicks, local planners can access hazard maps and exposure data to guide land use and infrastructure planning.
Complementing these are the Meteorological Data Acquisition Station for Information Dissemination (Masid) Technologies, a suite of real-time monitoring tools using automated rain gauges and weather stations; and Project Disaster Narratives for an Experiential Knowledge-based Science Communication Sourcebooks (Danas), a DRRM education toolkit translated into Filipino and local dialects to make science accessible.
There is also the Pagasa National Hydro-Met Observing Network (Panahon), a DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) online portal for weather forecasts, climate outlooks, and hazard updates.
Each tool, Pidor explained, reinforces a shared vision, ‘that science shouldn’t stay in research papers or exhibit tables, but in the hands of communities who need it most.’