BORONGAN CITY — Residents of Borongan City are now better prepared against tsunami threats following the installation of the 97th Community Tsunami Alerting System (CTAS) in the country by the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) at Baybay Boulevard on October 10, 2025.
According to Engr. Jaime J. Voces, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (CDRRMO), the new CTAS will strengthen Borongan’s early warning capabilities and boost local tsunami preparedness, helping safeguard lives and properties, especially in the city’s 61 barangays, 42 of which are coastal communities.
“This equipment will allow us to issue alerts more quickly and accurately, ensuring communities receive timely warnings before a tsunami strikes,” Voces said in a local radio interview.
The installation, carried out by a DOST-PHIVOLCS technical team, officially connects Borongan City to the Philippine Tsunami Early Warning System (TeWS) — a nationwide network designed to monitor, detect, and communicate tsunami threats in real time.
To ensure sustainability, the city government of Borongan will provide the necessary logistics, while DOST-PHIVOLCS will handle the technology transfer, training, and system integration. Personnel from the CDRRMO and barangay officials are also scheduled to undergo orientation and hands-on training on the use and management of the CTAS.
For residents like Kathleen Andea of Barangay Campesao, the installation of the CTAS brings reassurance and confidence to coastal communities.
“It’s helpful in a way that there will be someone monitoring the sea level,” Andea shared.
“Unlike a typhoon, you can always prepare for it, but an earthquake is something we cannot predict. Now, we no longer have to guess about what we cannot see because there’s already a system that monitors the water level,” she added.
In addition, DOST-PHIVOLCS will soon conduct an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign and a Workshop on Tsunami Evacuation and System Integration, aimed at further raising community awareness and readiness.
The Tsunami Alert Siren Device, also installed at the city’s Barangay A, forms part of a continuing collaboration between the national government and local government units to enhance community-based disaster preparedness and resilience in Eastern Samar.
Through this initiative, DOST-PHIVOLCS and the Borongan City Government reaffirm their shared commitment to saving lives through science, technology, and proactive local action. (Vee Tolentino-Gumban/PIA Eastern Samar/with reports from Soc Aberia/RP)
