The provincial government of Eastern Samar is strengthening its earthquake and tsunami preparedness through a science-based disaster risk reduction program in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincent Evardone said the province has begun integrating seismic hazard assessments into infrastructure planning and other development projects as part of its long-term disaster resilience strategy.

The initiative follows the "Prepared for the Bigger Ones" symposium, which brought together local officials, disaster experts, and civic leaders to improve understanding of the province's vulnerability to major earthquakes and tsunamis.

Jeffrey Perez warned that a seismic gap along the Philippine Trench between Borongan and Guiuan has been locked for years, allowing tectonic pressure to build. He said a major rupture could generate tsunami waves of up to nine meters along Eastern Samar's coastline.

The province has experienced several major earthquakes in recent years, including the magnitude 7.6 offshore quake in Guiuan in 2023 that triggered a small tsunami, the magnitude 6.5 San Julian earthquake in 2019, and the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck San Julian on 4 May 2026.

Perez urged local governments to strictly enforce building standards, construct elevated evacuation and rescue facilities, install protective infrastructure such as seawalls and floodgates, and preserve natural barriers including mangroves and coral reefs.

John Glenn Ocaña said while earthquakes cannot be predicted, the agency is helping Eastern Samar improve preparedness through science-based planning and early warning systems.

"We are coming up with early warning devices that will be strategically placed so that they can provide information for people to prepare," Ocaña said.

He added that Eastern Samar remains among the country's most vulnerable provinces to tsunamis because of its location facing the Pacific Ocean.