The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the first-hand experiences of the people on disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions may be a source of information for the public to better understand the negative impacts that these disasters may bring.

Phivolcs Director III Mylene Villegas, in an interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Tuesday, March 26, said the institution continued to conduct the "DANAS" project whose purpose is not only to document the people’s experiences during disastrous events but also to maximize those narratives as information materials translated into different local languages.

“Na-realize namin base sa pag-aaral na mas nakaka-relate ang mga kasama natin sa komunidad kung mas nakikita nila na ang nagkukwento ay iyong mga taong nakaranas na kasama rin nila (We have realized through a study that people in communities can relate more when they hear the stories of the people who experienced the same thing),” Villegas said.

Specifically, Villegas said interviews were conducted among people and communities struck down by disasters from which the information will be filed into video and print materials that can be used by teachers and disaster officers as supplementary content for teaching and training.

She also noted that in the previous year, data gathering was done, while this year was for the development of materials from different areas including Luzon North, Luzon South, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Phivolcs targeted to disseminate the information in various languages such as Ilokano, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bikolano, Cebuano, and Hiligaynon, said Villegas.

Villegas also assured that by the end of the project, books translated into the said languages with stories from the grassroots will be available, as those will help boost awareness and preparedness for disasters.