State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has partnered with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to integrate science-based hazard information into its risk management and lending operations, strengthening the bank’s disaster resilience and improving credit evaluation.

Under the agreement, DBP will gain free access to PHIVOLCS’ GeoRiskPH platform, including the HazardHunterPH Pro application, which provides real-time geohazard data and risk analysis. The platform will help the bank assess the exposure of loan collaterals, investments, acquired assets, branch locations, and other facilities to natural hazards.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said the partnership demonstrates how government agencies can work together to build a safer, more resilient, and sustainable Philippines through the use of shared expertise and science-based tools.

“This initiative not only contributes to the broader goal of disaster risk reduction but also strengthens the Bank’s institutional resilience, especially in financing projects that would generate economic activity, particularly in the countryside,” de Jesus said.

The two agencies will also conduct bank-wide training on the use of GeoRiskPH and HazardHunterPH Pro for personnel involved in lending, branch banking, special assets management, and credit appraisal.

GeoRiskPH, led by PHIVOLCS under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), is a centralized government platform that supports geohazard mapping, vulnerability assessments, and disaster preparedness through real-time hazard information.

DBP, the country’s ninth-largest bank with total assets of P1.041 trillion, provides financing for key sectors, including infrastructure and logistics, micro, small and medium enterprises, the environment, and social services and community development.