Assessment of the tsunami alert on 27/28 February 2010 in Eastern Samar and Leyte
This report presents the findings of a small survey of the warning system that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) used to issue a tsunami alert to Filipinos residing along the Pacific coast after the 27 February 2010 destructive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile. It assesses the communication chain, reactions in case of warnings, and general knowledge about tsunamis among the responsible officials and population along the coast of Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Southern Leyte.
The report identifies some weaknesses in the system and recommends actions to be taken to increase knowledge on tsunamis at community, barangay and Local Government Unit (LGU) levels, especially regarding alert levels, hazard areas, evacuation routes, and evacuation sites. It also asserts that the communication chain needs improvement in order to secure that everyone exposed to the hazard receives official warnings. The survey was commissioned by GTZ.