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Modernize PhiVolcs: Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairperson of the Committee on Science and Technology, underscores the importance of modernizing the country’s earthquake monitoring and early warning system. He said knowing the early signs of disasters would give planners the information to prepare for any disasters that might strike the country. “It is time we modernize and put the money here because we are a country that is vulnerable to disasters and calamities and we are already behind our neighbors,” Cayetano said during a public hearing Monday, February 12, 2024. He cited data from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PhiVolcs) which showed that there are between 100 to 150 earthquakes that hit the Philippines annually or an average of 20 earthquake daily. Of the figure, about four to five earthquakes per week are felt by the people. The committee also discussed infrastructure protection, satellite-based technologies for internet connectivity and the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)