LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines — State-of-the-art landslide monitoring equipment was installed in a disaster-prone area of this town by a team of geologists and engineers whose goal is to boost landslide-preparedness in endangered communities.

The sensor system was installed by experts from the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman in Sitio Becktey, Barangay Longlong in Puguis town, here.

The landslide-sensing network, aimed at reducing risks associated with landslides, is a component of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST)-funded research program dubbed Disaster Risk Management Using Sensor Network and Computing.

The sensor network consists of a tilt and moisture sensor column and a personal computer for data storage and processing.

Underground tilt sensors monitor subsurface soil movement, up to a depth of 40 meters. On the other hand, pore water pressure sensors keep track of the increasing water pressure inside the soil during heavy rains before the occurrence of landslides.

The data collected by the sensors will be transmitted to a computer for data storage and analysis, which geologists will use to determine significant movement on the slope that may cause a future landslide in the area.

The processed information will then be the basis for affected communities to plan the appropriate precautionary measures and steps in case of disaster.

Barangay Puguis was chosen by the experts as the venue where the state-of-the-art disaster monitoring equipment will be installed because of the possibility of having another landslide similar to the October 2009 tragedy where more than 180 people died in Little Kibungan, Puguis barangay.