JICA, DoST help strengthen tsunami preparedness of E. Samar City

BORONGAN CITY — The Borongan City government has partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DoST-Phivolcs) to enhance local preparedness for earthquakes and tsunamis.

JICA technical experts had a coordination meeting with Borongan officials for a project on capacity development for the monitoring and information dissemination on tsunamis. The collaboration follows the city officials’ 13-day study visit to Japan in June and July this year.

JICA team lead Takahito Akazawa discussed the project’s implementation, including the development of a tsunami inundation simulation, hazard maps, and a comprehensive tsunami evacuation plan for Borongan City.

Borongan, as the provincial capital of Eastern Samar and the most populated local government unit in the province, is in a high-risk for tsunamis with the Philippine Trench just offshore to the east of the city.

DoST-Phivolcs has earlier warned that a segment of the Philippine Trench off Eastern Samar is capable of generating a magnitude 8.1 earthquake, which could produce local tsunami waves reaching 8 to 10 meters in height.

Through its partnership with JICA and DoST, the Borongan City government wants to translate scientific information and local knowledge into practical preparedness measures that will help protect coastal communities and strengthen the city’s resilience against earthquake and tsunami hazards.

Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Agda emphasized the importance of incorporating the city’s historical and geographical context into the study.

He shared findings from archeological excavations conducted by the University of the Philippines School of Archeology along the Borongan River, where layers of black clay and seashell deposits were discovered.

He said these findings warrant further scientific examination in understanding the city’s possible history of tsunami events and the importance of identifying safer areas for future development and possible relocation.

Agda also raised the importance of integrating nature-based and structural measures, including mangrove rehabilitation, coastal protection structures, and improved land-use planning, into the city’s broader disaster risk reduction efforts.

He further emphasized the need for community participation, regular training, and advance preparations to ensure that residents understand and can properly respond to tsunami warnings.