ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Government’s earthquake monitoring system has proven its reliability after the City Hall’s intensity meter successfully recorded tremors from the recent quake felt on Wednesday, October 15 — confirming that the city’s seismic sensor remains fully operational despite an earlier technical glitch.
Darwin Papa, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) Disaster Response Division, said the device has been continuously working even with its damaged display screen.
“Operational ang aton nga intensity meter, that’s why sang Wednesday, if you notice ang linog nagtupa diri sa aton, may ara kita sang reported nga instrumental intensity,” he said.
Iloilo City was included in the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) bulletin with an Intensity IV (reported intensity) and Intensity II (instrumental intensity) record.
Instrumental intensity refers to ground shaking recorded directly by the City Hall’s sensor, while reported intensity indicates the level of shaking felt by residents.
“Ang instrumental intensity amo na siya ang na-record sang aton device… while ang reported naman naton nga intensity amo naman na ya ang kabaskugon sang pag tay-og nga nabatyagan sang mga pumuluyo,” he said, noting that sensors installed on the ground floor typically register lower readings than upper floors.
Personnel from PHIVOLCS visited the Iloilo City Hall on October 16 to fix the device’s display, which is now fully restored. Installed in the early 2000s shortly after the City Hall’s construction, the intensity meter has undergone periodic maintenance and continues to play a key role in local earthquake monitoring.
Papa emphasized that the device enhances the city’s disaster preparedness by providing real-time data on ground acceleration — measured in Galileos or peak ground acceleration — that helps PHIVOLCS confirm and interpret intensity levels.
“This device provides us with scientific measurements that complement human observation,” he said. “It allows us to verify the strength of earthquakes and respond more accurately to any potential risks.”
The City Hall intensity meter is located at the ground floor, behind the information section, and is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to strengthen disaster monitoring and public safety systems./PN
