By Rusieljs G. Lunasco

CPU Webmaster Mr. Mark Clemens Ortaliz (left) , WSSP and NSTP Coordinator Prof. Annalie Gilongos (center), and Occupational Safety and Health Officer Mr. Prim Vergara III (right) with other participants during their fieldwork at Iloilo Business Park.

CPU Webmaster Mr. Mark Clemens Ortaliz, National Training Service Program (NSTP) and Work-Student Study Program (WSSP) Coordinator Prof. Annalie D. Gilongos, and Occupational Safety and Health Officer Mr. Prim C. Vergara III attended the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) Exposure Database Module (EDM) Training on October 8-10, 2019 at the Iloilo City Hall. The seminar was conducted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS).

During the training, participants were able to familiarize themselves with the capacity of the EDM android survey tool, which is designed to be used for surveying buildings which will be used for risk assessment. The participants were also provided with REDAS Android EDM version 2.6 for the survey.

According to the PHILVOCS REDAS, (Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System) is a software developed to simulate earthquake hazards such as ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides, and tsunami.  The software can also compute earthquake impacts in terms of physical damage, casualties, and economic loss.  REDAS was developed by PHIVOLCS and is now being shared with local government units as a tool for emergency preparedness, contingency planning, and, more importantly, for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into the local development planning process.

So far, 71 provinces, 21 municipalities, 30 state universities and colleges, 67 private companies, ten non-government organizations, and five government institutions had been trained on the use of the REDAS software.