Extension and Public Service Initiatives
IEC Campaign in Boac, Marinduque
June 28, 2025
Promoting Geotourism in Palawan
July 23, 2024
IEC Campaign in Sagada, Mountain Province
May 02, 2024
IEC Campaign in Kalinga
August 10, 2023
Geophysics Training for MGB Geologists
March 2023
IEC Campaign in Ilocos Norte
July 02, 2022
IEC Campaign at UP Cebu
August 09, 2019
IEC Campaign at CTU, Cebu City
June 26, 2019
IEC Campaign in Camarines Norte
June 26, 2019
IEC Campaign in Boac, Marinduque
As part of the outreach component of our DOST-funded project, the Rushurgent Working Group composed of Dr. Carla B. Dimalanta, Dr. Leo T. Armada and Dr. Betchaida D. Payot, held an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Campaign titled “Geo-Lecture Series on Geohazards” last June 28, 2025, at Casa Real, Boac.
The activity was carried out through partnerships with the Marinduque Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and Marinduque State University (MarSU).
The lecture was attended by participants from MarSU, Marinduque National High School, PDRRMO, PG-ENRO, and other local stakeholders — all united in building geoscience awareness and disaster resilience in the province.
IEC Campaign in San Vicente, Palawan
A group of geologists, headed by Dr. Jillian Aira Gabo-Ratio, Dr. Betchaida Payot and Dr. Gabriel Theophilus Valera, together with the 2024 Geology 215 class of the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS), visited the Palawan Provincial Tourism Office last July 23, 2024. They explained the different rock units that were mapped during the fieldwork and geologic mapping conducted in the municipality of San Vicente. The group also prepared a brochure that is now being used to promote geotourism in the municipality.
The brochure showcases and explains the various landforms and geologic features within San Vicente. You may check the brochure here.
IEC Campaign in Kalinga
The “Geo-Lecture Series: Geology and Geohazards in Kalinga" was held at the Kalinga State University last August 10, 2023.
The lectures were organized through the DOST-funded projects titled "Growth of an Island Arc (GAIA)" and "Marine and Onshore Geophysical Investigations of the Manila subduction zone (MOGI)". Dr. Betchaida D. Payot, Dr. Leo T. Armada and Dr. Gabriel Theophilus Valera discussed the geology of Kalinga as well as potential hazards such as earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions. Around 70 participants, including members of the Kalinga LGU and DRR staff, KSU faculty and students, attended the lecture series.
IEC Campaign in Sagada, Mountain Province
An Information and Education Campaign for junior and senior high school students was held at the Sagada National High School on May 2, 2024.
The lectures were organized through the DOST-funded project titled "Growth of an Island Arc (GAIA)". Dr. Betchaida D. Payot and Dr. Jillian Aira Gabo-Ratio introduced the geology of Sagada and surrounding areas. Emphasis was made on the geotourism sites and geohazards present in their locality. A presentation on promoting geoscience as a career option was also conducted for the high school students and faculty.
IEC Campaign in Ilocos Norte
Part of the activities during the implementation of our DOST-funded project was the conduct of an information, education, and communication (IEC) seminar. This was held at the provincial government of Ilocos Norte last July 2, 2022. The IEC was attended by different government agencies, such as the provincial government of Ilocos Norte, various Local Government Units of different municipalities, and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 1 (MGB-R1) office.
The seminar was conducted through a face-to-face meeting and via the Zoom platform. The participants were provided with an overview of the geology of Northern Luzon as well as updates on the geohazards based on the mapping and assessments done by MGB-R1. Geohazards in Northern Luzon related to the Manila Trench were also discussed by Dr. Leo T. Armada and Dr. Carla B. Dimalanta.
IEC Campaign in Camarines Norte
After completing their fieldwork and geologic mapping activities, the 2019 Geology 215 class of the National Institute of Geological Sciences, led by Dr. Betchaida Payot, Dr. Noelynna Ramos, and Dr. Jillian Aira Gabo-Ratio, together with members of the Rushurgent Working Group, organized an information, education, and communication (IEC) seminar on June 26, 2019.
The team conducted lectures and hands-on activities on rocks and minerals for Grades 4–6 teachers and students of Mangcawayan Island Elementary School in Vinzons, Camarines Norte.
IEC Campaign at UP Cebu
An information and education campaign and lecture series was held on August 9, 2019, at the University of the Philippines, Lahug campus, Cebu City. The event gathered over 100 participants, including elementary and high school science teachers, as well as geologists from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regions V, VII, and VIII. Dr. Jillian Aira Gabo-Ratio and other project staff presented new geologic and geophysical data on hazards such as faults, earthquakes, landslides, sinkholes, and extreme wave events. Various teaching materials were also shown, which the teachers found especially valuable as they provided fresh ideas and resources for their science classes.
The IEC was part of the extension activities of the DOST-funded research program “Integrative Studies on the Geodynamics of the Philippine and Taiwan Arc Systems”, with Dr. Carla Dimalanta as the Program Leader.
IEC Campaign at CTU Cebu
As part of the DOST-funded research program “Integrative Studies on the Geodynamics of the Philippine and Taiwan Arc Systems”, led by Dr. Carla Dimalanta, an information and education campaign and lecture series was conducted at Cebu Technological University in Cebu City. The activity, held on June 30 to July 1, 2018, featured lectures by RWG project staff (Dr. Leo Armada, Dr. Betchaida Payot and Dr. Noelynna Ramos) in collaboration with faculty and staff from the School of Environmental Science and Management of UP Los Baños, headed by Dr. Decibel Faustino-Eslava.
The event was attended by 150 elementary and high school science teachers. The lectures and hands-on activities focused on geohazards such as landslides, sinkholes and earthquakes. Examples of these hazards observed in Cebu were also presented.
Geophysics Training for MGB Geologists
The Philippines has only a limited number of geophysicists. To help address this gap, our DOST-funded project 'Marine and Onshore Geophysical Investigations of the Manila Subduction Zone,' led by Dr. Carla B. Dimalanta and Dr. Leo T. Armada, carried out capacity-building activities for the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. Several MGB geologists received hands-on training in the use and operation of the gravity meter and magnetometer. Online lectures and workshops on the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of ground and marine geophysical data were also given to the MGB geologists and other technical staff.
In March 2023, two geologists from the Marine Geophysics Survey Division joined our project team on a marine scientific research expedition in the Manila Trench region, where they gained valuable experience and skills essential for their work in marine geophysics.
Green Tech Project 1: Removal and Stabilization of Arsenic Gold and Copper Ores Using Aqueous and Non-Aqueous Solvents
This project seeks to investigate the behavior and distribution of arsenic in gold and copper deposits and apply an economic and eco-efficient technology that will seperate the arsenic minerals from the ore/concentrate and transform them into environmentally benign from for safe disposal
Green Tech Project 2: Innovative Technology for Refractory Gold Extraction Using Deep Eutectic Solvent
This project seeks to invesigate the mineralogy of refractory gold ore resources and adapt an economic and eco-efficient process of extracting gold from refractory ores
Green Tech Project 3: Rare Earth Elements in Bauxite: Characterization and Extraction of a Potential Resource
This project seeks to investigate the REE enrichment and extraction potential of bauxite deposits by analyzing the geochemical and mineralogical properties of the parent rocks and bauxite phases as well as determining the practicable treatment approach
Pressure-temperature-deformation-time (P-T-D-t) history and petrogenesis of Romblon metamorphic rocks: Implications for the western Philippine arc-continent collision zone
This is a UP System-funded Balik-PhD research project of Dr. Gabriel Theophilus V. Valera which is administered and monitored by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This project aims to constrain the pressure-temperature-deformation-time (P-T-D-t) history and petrogenesis of the metamorphic rocks exposed in the Romblon Island Group (RIG).
Field campaigns were carried out in January and July 2023 to map out the extent and distribution of metamorphic rocks as well as collect samples for laboratory analyses. Petrographic analyses and back-scattered electron imaging of the samples are currently being undertaken.
Several conferences were also attended by the research group to present the initial results. These include the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Japan Association of Mineralogical Sciences (JAMS 2023) and NIGSCON 2023.
Two Ophiolites in Palawan? Constraints from Petrological, Geochemical, and Geochronological Signatures
This recently concluded project was funded by the Department of Science and Technology - National Academy of Science and Technology (DOST-NAST). Its main objective is to compare and contrast the lithologies comprising the two identified ophiolites in Palawan: the Eocene Central Palawan Ophiolite (CPO) and the Cretaceous Southern Palawan Ophiolite (SPO). Field campaigns conducted in 2022 and 2023 focused on the volcanic rocks exposed in Quezon, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, and Balabac in southern Palawan. Petrographic and geochemical analyses of collected volcanic rock samples confirm the presence of MORB-like tholeiitic, boninitic, and alkalic rocks in the SPO. The presence of alkalic intrusive rocks in the SPO was also ascertained. The results of the project were presented by the project’s staff at local research conferences. These include GeoCon 2022 and NIGSCON 2023.