PHIVOLCS Earthquake Information Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS)

Overview

The PHIVOLCS Earthquake Information portal is an online public information service maintained by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), a service agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the Philippines. The portal provides real-time and archival earthquake bulletins, seismicity maps, and hazard information for the Philippines and surrounding regions.

History of PHIVOLCS

The institutional roots of PHIVOLCS trace to the Philippine Weather Bureau established in 1901. The direct predecessor agency, the Commission on Volcanology (COMVOL), was created on 20 June 1952 by Republic Act No. 766 following the devastating 1951 eruption of Mount Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin. Under Executive Order No. 784 of 17 March 1982, COMVOL was restructured into the Philippine Institute of Volcanology (PHIVOLC). On 17 September 1984, the seismological functions were transferred from PAGASA to PHIVOLC, and the agency was renamed PHIVOLCS. The Department of Science and Technology formally replaced the National Science and Technology Authority in 1987, bringing PHIVOLCS under its current institutional home.

Earthquake Information Services

The PHIVOLCS earthquake information portal publishes earthquake bulletins listing recent seismic events affecting the Philippines, including location, depth, magnitude, and intensity data. The portal serves as a primary public reference for media, government agencies, academic institutions, and the general public. Earthquake records are disseminated via the portal, SMS alerts, social media, and direct feeds to local government and national disaster risk management authorities.

Access and Usage

The earthquake information portal is freely accessible online and provides records of recent and archival seismic events. PHIVOLCS also maintains the GeoRiskPH platform for broader hazard assessment and mapping. Information from PHIVOLCS earthquake bulletins is regularly cited in news reports and serves as the authoritative source for Philippine seismic events.