Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology

History

This government organization was formed after a historical merging of official functions of government institutions.

One of its first predecessors is the Philippine Weather Bureau created in 1901 when meteorological, seismological and terrestrial magnetic services of the Manila Observatory were transferred from the Roman Catholic Church to the American Colonial Government. It performed earthquake monitoring in the country and has inherited and maintained the early earthquake catalogue at that time. By 1972, the Philippine Weather Bureau was reorganized under Presidential Decree No. 78 into the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). A United Nations Development Programme-funded project for PAGASA established a twelve-station earthquake monitoring network in the country.

In February 1951, Dr. Jose M. Feliciano, Chair of the Division of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) presented a proposal for the creation of a Commission on Volcanology. The eruption of Mount Hibok-Hibok in December 1951 and the consequent destruction and loss of lives led to the closer cooperation by the Geology, Seismology, and Volcanology Section, committee on Volcanology of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, to study volcanoes in the Philippines. This collaboration let to the enactment of Republic Act No. 766 on June 20, 1952 that created the Commission of Volcanology (COMVOL). This Commission was placed under NRCP and its office was initially set up in the College of Liberal Arts in UP Diliman. Under Executive Order No. 784 of March 17, 1982, the umbrella department of COMVOL, the National Science Development Board (NSDB) was reorganized into the National Science and Technology Authority (NSTA), and COMVOL was restructured to become the Philippine Institute of Volcanology or PHIVOLC.

The seismological arm of PAGASA was officially transferred to PHIVOLC on September 17, 1984 through Executive Order No. 984, renaming the institute as the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS. The NSTA, the umbrella department for PHIVOLCS and PAGASA, became the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in 1987. The technical staff and the 12-station earthquake monitoring network was fully integrated to PHIVOLCS in 1988.

PHILVOCS and the United States Geological Survey collaborated during the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Their forecast provided the timely evacuation of military personnel and residents that were affected by the eruption.

PHIVOLCS was headed by Raymundo Punongbayan from 1982 to 2002, and it was headed by Renato U. Solidum Jr. from 2003 to 2023.

Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol was appointed as the new Director and took his oath on January 23, 2023, with Science and Technology Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr. in Quezon City.

In April 2025, President Bongbong Marcos signed a law measure modernizing the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to improve its technological operational capacity.

Classification of volcanoes in the Philippines

PHIVOLCS classifies volcanoes as active, potentially active, or inactive:

Active

Main article: List of active volcanoes in the Philippines

• Eruption in historic times
• Historical record within 600 years
• Radiocarbon dating (C14) dating to 10,000 years
• Local seismic activity
• Oral or folkloric history

Potentially active

Main article: List of potentially active volcanoes in the Philippines

• Active solfataras, fumaroles, or steaming activity
• Geologically young, possibly erupted
• Young-looking geomorphology (thin soil cover or sparse vegetation; low degree of erosion and dissection; young vent features; with or without vegetation cover).
• Suspected seismic activity.
• Documented local ground deformation.
• Geochemical indicators of magmatic involvement.
• Geophysical proof of magma bodies.
• Strong connection with subduction zones and external tectonic settings.

Inactive

Main article: List of inactive volcanoes in the Philippines

• No record of eruption and its form is beginning to change by the agents of weathering and erosion via formation of deep and long gullies.

References

References

1. [[Department of Budget and Management]]. "Staffing Summary Fiscal Year 2024".
2. "M. PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF VOLCANOLOGY AND SEISMOLOGY". Department of Budget and Management.
3. (2013). "Mga Pangalan ng Tanggapan ng Pamahalaan sa Filipino". Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino.
4. "About PHIVOLCS". PHIVOLCS website.
5. (21 July 2011). "The Jesuit Manila Observatory, 1865-2011 (Part I)". Philstar.com.
6. "PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 78 ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE ATMOSPHERIC GEOPHYSICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION".
7. (2009). "NRCP at 75 : bringing great ideas to life.". National Research Council of the Philippines.
8. (20 June 1952). "Republic Act No. 766 : REPUBLIC ACTS - PHILIPPINE LAWS STATUTES and CODES".
9. (17 March 1982). "EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 784 REORGANIZING THE NATIONAL SCIENCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND ITS AGENCIES INTO A NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES".
10. (2003). "Cultures of Disaster: Society and Natural Hazards in the Philippines". Psychology Press.
11. (17 September 1984). "EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 984 TRANSFERRING THE PHILIPPINE ATMOSPHERIC, GEOPHYSICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY, PROVIDING FOR ITS REORGANIZATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES".
12. (17 March 2015). "Ring of Fire: An Encyclopedia of the Pacific Rim's Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes: An Encyclopedia of the Pacific Rim's Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes". ABC-CLIO.
13. (6 May 2005). "Raymundo S. Punongbayan, 68; Leading Volcanologist". Los Angeles Times.
14. DOST-PHIVOLCS. (2023). [https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/17268-dost-phivolcs-names-its-new-director#:~:text=He%20started%20his%20career%20with,since%20its%20inception%20in%201952. DOST-PHIVOLCS Names Its New Director].
15. (April 25, 2025). "Marcos OKs Phivolcs' modernization".
16. (April 26, 2025). "Marcos approves P7-billion Phivolcs modernization program".
17. "Volcano General Information: Classification of Volcanoes". Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.