Extending DRRM Efforts to Taal’s Animals, Livestock, and Livelihoods through GeoMapperPH Mobile Application
November 7, 2024
by: YPAquino, TMMorado, & JDLinato

The Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) has partnered once again with the Batangas Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) to bring the GeoMapperPH mobile application in Taal, Batangas. Held on November 7, 2024, at the Taal Municipal Hall, the training gathered 42 barangay-based enumerators and seven (7) database managers, equipping them with the skills to utilize the application for local data collection and analysis. This training continues an initiative that began in November 2022 with the municipalities of Laurel and Agoncillo, followed by Balete, San Nicolas, and Talisay in July 2023. Now, it has reached Taal, providing the community with a tool to build a comprehensive database of animal farms, animal facilities, and household animals. This database aims to support the planning, execution, and implementation of effective and beneficial programs related to livestock, poultry, and animal welfare, particularly in the context of disaster management. The lectures included discussions on the GeoRiskPH Initiative and the GeoMapperPH Mobile Application, presented by Ms. Ynna Patricia Aquino, Ms. Trisha Marie Morado, and Ms. Jaztine Danielle Linato from the DOST-PHIVOLCS GeoRiskPH team. Additionally, speakers from Batangas OPV, Dr. Krisel Ann Ragas and Mr. Chenco Montenegro, delivered lectures on "How to Answer Attributes" and "Biosecurity," respectively. At the end of the training session, Taal Mayor Hon. Fulgencio Mercado encouraged the enumerators as they embarked on their 14-day fieldwork for surveying. He emphasized the importance of the baseline data they were set to gather, noting its role in shaping a more inclusive framework for disaster risk reduction and management — especially vital in a municipality like Taal, which is frequently exposed to volcanic hazards. “Kung tayo ay lilikas, ang mga hayop ay ating isasama,” he stressed, highlighting that disaster preparedness and response must extend beyond human concerns to include the welfare of animals under their care.