About the Laboratory

The Volcano-Tectonics (VTec) laboratory, housed by the National institute of Geological Sciences, focuses primarily on theoretical and experimental research on the reciprocal influence of volcanoes and their basement. Over the years, its research has expanded into hazards mapping and modelling for various natural disasters, such as volcanic activity, earthquakes, floods, rainfall-induced landslides, and storm surges. They leverage on scientific tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, computational modeling, and aerial photogrammetry to study disaster events such as the 2006 Guinsaugon landslide, 2006 Mayon lahars, Barangay Andap debris flow in 2012, Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and numerous floods in Iloilo, Mindoro, Cagayan de Oro and Metro Manila.

Laboratory Head

Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, Ph.D. - Volcano-Tectonics, Remote Sensing, Geohazards

Contact Information

Email: vtec@nigs.upd.edu.ph
Location: NIGS Room 020

Research Activities for 2024

Papers published in International-Peer Reviewed Journals (4)

• Besarra, I., Opdyke, A., Aquino, D. H., Santiago, J., Mendoza, J. E., & Lagmay, A. M. F. A. (2024). Flood fragility and vulnerability functions for residential buildings in the Province of Leyte, Philippines. Journal of Flood Risk Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.13043
• Lagmay, A. M. F., Bagtasa, G., Andal, D. F., Andal, F. D., Aldea, J., Bencito, D. C., Liporada, K., & Delmendo, P. (2024). An Impact-Based Flood Forecasting System for citizen empowerment. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, 21(SAI), 129–148. https://doi.org/10.37801/ajad2024.21.20ai.8
• Rita, K. S. S., Valkaniotis, S., & Lagmay, A. M. F. (2024). Surface rupture kinematics of the 2020 Mw 6.6 Masbate (Philippines) earthquake determined from optical and radar data. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 24(4), 1135–1161. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24- 1135-2024
• Sulapas, J. J. S., Ybañez, A. a. B., Marasigan, K. M. M., Grageda, J. M. B. M., & Lagmay, A. M. F. A. (2024). Ground subsidence in major Philippine metropolitan cities from 2014 to 2020. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 133, 104107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2024.104107

International Conference Presentations (1)

• Ybañez, R. L., Lagmay, A. M. F., & Malamud, B. (2024). A systematic overview of hazard interrelationships in the Philippines. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2024, 14-19 April 2024.
  
  

Local Conference Presentations (2)

• Castro, A. P. A. (2024). Ash3d modelling of the tephra dispersal from Mt. Parker. GeoCon 2024, Philippines, 4-5 December 2024.
• Lagmay, A. M. F. (2024). (2024). Devastating lahars of KristinePH in the coastal areas of Taal Lake. 19th NIGS Research Symposium, Philippines, 14-15 November 2024.
  

Authored Books or Book-chapters (2)

• Lagmay, A.M., Santiago, J.T., Mendoza, J.E. (2024). Mainstreaming Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. In: Berse, K.B., Pulhin, J.M., La Viña, A.G.M. (eds) Climate Emergency in the Philippines (pp. 311-336). Disaster Risk Reduction. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7804-5_14
• La Viña, A.G.M., Berse, K.B., Pulhin, J.M., Lagmay, A.M.F., Dedase, K.L.M.C. (2024). Tackling Climate Emergency Head-On: An Action Agenda for Policymakers. In: Berse, K.B., Pulhin, J.M., La Viña, A.G.M. (eds) Climate Emergency in the Philippines (pp.409-420). Disaster Risk Reduction. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7804-5_18

NIGS-Funded Projects (2)

• Project: Geology and Volcanostratigraphy of Mt. Malindig, Marinduque
  Project Leader: Castro, Aris Paolo A.
  Period: 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024
  Funding Source: UP NIGS
  Amount: P 96,000.00
• • Reference: Castro, A. P. A. (2024). Geology and volcanostratigraphy of Mt. Malindig, Marinduque. NIGS Research Grant 2024.
• Project: Reconstructing the Pyroclastic Density Current of the 1814 Eruption of Mayon Volcano from Fieldwork and Titan2D Simulations
  Project Leader: Lagmay, Alfredo Mahar Francisco A., Ph.D.
  Period: 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024
  Funding Source: UP NIGS
  Amount: P 120,000.00
• • Reference: Lagmay, A. M. F. A., Jatulan, P. M. C. (2024). Reconstructing the pyroclastic density current of the 1814 Eruption of Mayon Volcano from fieldwork and Titan2D simulations. NIGS Research Grant 2024.
    
    

MOA’s entered with Local/Foreign Institution (1)

• 2024 Quake Quest: Unleashing Innovations in Seismology through Arts, Engineering, and Research. Partnership with UP Resilience Institute.
  

Highlighted Publications

• Ybañez, R. L., Ybañez, A. A. B., Lagmay, A. M. F. A., & Aurelio, M. A. (2021). Imaging ground surface deformations in post-disaster settings via small UAVs. Geoscience Letters, 8(1), 1-14.
• Lagmay, A. M. F., Balangue-Tarriela, M. I. R., Aurelio, M., Ybanez, R., Bonus-Ybanez, A., Sulapas, J., … & Rosell, N. (2021). Hazardous base surges of Taal’s 2020 eruption. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-11.
• Hernández, P. A., Melián, G. V., Asensio-Ramos, M., Padrón, E., Sumino, H., Pérez, N. M., … & Lagmay, A. M. (2021). Geochemical and isotopic evidence of volcanic plumbing system processes from fumarolic gases of Taal volcano, Philippines, prior to the January 2020 eruption. Chemical Geology, 574, 120216.
• Ballesteros, C., Santiago, J., Mendoza, J., & Lagmay, A. M. F. (2021, April). Vulnerability and Risk Assessment to Hydrometeorological Hazards in the City of Naga, Cebu, Philippines. In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (pp. EGU21-10488).
• Ybañez, R. L., Romaguera, P. J., Malamud, B. D., & Lagmay, A. M. F. A. (2020, December). A Multi-Hazard Interactions Framework for the Philippines. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2020, pp. NH022-0002).
• Chaivutitorn, T., Tanasakcharoen, T., Leelawat, N., Tang, J., Caro, C. V. C., Lagmay, A. M. F. A., … & Imamura, F. (2020). Statistical analysis of building damage from the 2013 super typhoon haiyan and its storm surge in The Philippines. Journal of Disaster Research, 15(7), 822-832.
• Ybañez, R., Lagmay, A. M. F., & Malamud, B. (2020). Philippine Natural Hazard Interactions: History, Processes, and Occurrence [Presentation]. Ph.D. candidacy exam.
• Lagmay, A. M. F., & Baldago, M. C. (2020). A timeline of Mindanao disasters. University of the Philippines Press.
• Lagmay, A. M. F. A., Escape, C., Ybañez, A. A., Suarez, J. K., & Cuaresma, G. (2020). Anatomy of the Naga City landslide and comparison with historical debris avalanches and analog models. Frontiers in Earth Science, 8, 312.
  

Faculty, Researchers, and Student Members

Faculty

• Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay
• Likha G. Minimo
• Richard L. Ybanez

Graduate Students

• Richard L. Ybanez (Ph.D.)
• Edblanch Blanco
• Aris Paolo Castro
• Ever Praising Dumangeng
• Carmille Marie Escape
• Rosalie Gamba
• Paula Mae Jatulan
• Angelika Sadsad
• Jolly Joyce Sulapas
• Jamie Tan
• Jasma Wenna Valerio

Undergraduate Students

• Raymond Gallego
• Ella Leal
• Pamela Pajenando
• Nathaniel Vadesto Martinez
• Frayne Nicole Acosta
• Andrei Ross de Jesus
• Allen Gabriel Fetalvo
• Marc Jhonnel Forneste
• Francis Erris Santillana
• John Heroun Masapol
• Krissy Danielle Nicdao
• Luis Gabriel Rentoza