THE THOMASIAN community experienced what an Intensity 8 earthquake feels like — minus the danger — after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) brought its mobile earthquake simulator and hazard-mapping technology to the University.
The hands-on simulation, held at the Quadricentennial Park, aims to move students beyond routine drills by letting them feel severe ground shaking and assess campus risks in real time.
Facilities Management Office (FMO) director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P., said inviting Phivolcs to bring the simulator to campus had been under consideration for months to address the limitations of conventional earthquake preparedness, which often relies on drills rather than sensory experience.
“We practice [drills], but we do not know and are not aware of what an earthquake is really all about,” Austria told the Varsitarian. “Here, you experience the intensity, from Intensity 4 up to 8.”
Austria recalled a powerful earthquake during his childhood in the 1990s, something many students today have never experienced, making it difficult for them to grasp the need for preparedness measures.
Experiential learning allows students and personnel to go beyond “duck, cover, and hold” during drills, he said.
“We want this university to be ready for earthquakes [because they] are inevitable, but if we are ready to face them, we will be more prepared,” he said.
Phivolcs science research specialist Ian Luzon said the simulator should discourage students from trivializing earthquakes, and reframes drills as preparation for real disasters.
“Malalaman ng [students] na hindi biro ‘yung earthquake kasi nakita mo naman na ‘yung Intensity 8, malakas talaga,” Luzon told the Varsitarian. “So kapag nangyari talaga ‘yung event, hindi dapat siya gawing katatawanan.”
Campus readiness
UST houses several historic structures, including the Main Building, which Austria described as among the country’s earliest earthquake-resistant designs due to its segmented structure rather than deep foundations.
He said newer facilities, such as the Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati Building and the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. (BGPOP) Building, have deeper foundations that can withstand earthquakes of up to Intensity 8.
“Itong mga newer buildings natin, mas malalim na ‘yung foundation kaya alam natin na it can withstand an earthquake. We are looking at the structural integrity of our buildings, and as much as possible, we take action kapag may nakita tayo agad.”
The FMO plans to intensify earthquake drills in the coming weeks to better reflect the realities of a major seismic event.
UST is also considering developing its own earthquake simulator.
Future simulations could incorporate additional earthquake-related hazards, such as liquefaction and falling debris, which are not represented by the existing simulator, Austria said.
Disaster information
Phivolcs also introduced publicly accessible digital platforms to help citizens understand hazard exposure and disaster risk.
Luzon demonstrated HazardHunterPH, an internet-based application that generates official hazard assessment reports for any location in the country.
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Pinning the UST Manila shows the distance of the campus to the Valley Fault System and identifies it as susceptible to hazards such as liquefaction and flooding. Ground rupture risk remains low due to buffer zones around active faults.
“It is an official document. Kahit normal citizen lang po kayo, magagamit niyo siya para malaman kung prone ba ang property ninyo sa isang hazard,” Luzon said.
The platform features real-time earthquake monitoring, volcano alerts, 10-day weather forecasts, and official hazard maps from Phivolcs and partner agencies.
Phivolcs will deploy its mobile earthquake simulator at the Quadricentennial Park until Jan. 23, allowing more Thomasians to experience earthquake intensities firsthand. Nyl R. Dadiz
