Strengthening tsunami preparedness took center stage this week as more than 140 national and provincial government officials, along with civil society representatives, gathered in Quezon City for an intensive three-day training led by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (DoST-Phivolcs).

Held from 8 to 11 December, the Tsunami Ready National Workshop brought together experts from NOAA’s International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). 

Funded by the US Department of State, the workshop focused on one clear goal: making Philippine communities better prepared to assess tsunami risks, issue timely warnings, and carry out effective evacuation plans when seconds matter most.

“Preparedness saves lives,” said US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Y. Robert Ewing during the opening ceremony on 8 December. “The Tsunami Ready Workshop demonstrates our two countries’ shared commitment to ensuring every community has the tools to face tsunami threats with confidence.”
He added that decades of US-Philippine cooperation in disaster preparedness have helped keep both Filipinos and visiting Americans safer and more resilient.

The workshop supports the Philippines’ rollout of the IOC’s Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP), which sets global standards for coastal communities at risk. To earn the “Tsunami Ready” distinction, communities must meet 12 key indicators — ranging from identifying tsunami hazard zones and approving evacuation maps to conducting regular drills and ensuring reliable alert systems. The program is modeled after the United States’ own TsunamiReady® initiative.

“Tsunamis are no-notice events,” said Dr. Laura Kong, director of the ITIC and the Pacific’s lead provider of tsunami preparedness training. “We don’t know when the next big one will be, so we need to always be ‘Tsunami Ready.’”

DoST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., in his opening remarks, highlighted more than two decades of collaboration between Filipino and US scientists on tsunami preparedness. “With your help, we hope to finally see our very first internationally recognized Tsunami Ready community — or communities — in the Philippines very soon,” he said.            DT

For both countries, the workshop reflects a long-standing partnership focused on disaster resilience. Through agencies like NOAA, the United States continues to support programs that strengthen the ability of Philippine communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters—helping ensure safer coastlines and more resilient communities in the years ahead.