By Tracy Cabrera
DILIMAN, Quezon City — With rescue and relief efforts finding it difficult to reach several remote areas in north central Mindanao, government disaster and emergency response teams are using nighttime satellite data from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) to pinpoint those severely hit by last Monday’s earthquake.
According to PhilSA ad interim director general Dr. Gay Jane Perez, they are currently analyzing available satellite data on the 7.8-magnitude tremor to determine the extent of the damage, mostly in Sarangani and South Cotabato and also in General Santos City.
Differences in the nighttime satellite imagery from June 8 at 1:30 in the morning and June 9 at 1:12 in the morning showed areas that have less nighttime light, thus helping in the rapid assessment of the said areas.
“Changes in nighttime light provide a means to rapidly assess damage, disruption and recovery after disasters. When lights go out, it often signals power loss, infrastructure damage or population displacement and evacuation,” Dr. Perez pointed out.
“The preliminary analysis presents a proxy of where the most damage is located based on the absence of nighttime light. Barangays Labangal, Apopong, San Isidro, City Height, and coastal barangays of Siguel and Tambler of General Santos City (722,059 population based on 2024 PSA Census); coastal municipalities Maasim (67,907 residents) and Glan (117,017 residents) in Sarangani; and Polomolok, South Cotabato (176,671 residents) are some of the areas that showed a decrease in nighttime light based on visual comparison,” she added.
PhilSA is also in the process of refining and improving the gathered data and analysis records to properly identify the affected areas. The return of nighttime lights is used as a proxy to monitor reconstruction and recovery.
PhilSA’s support through the analysis of satellite data provides wide-area coverage that assists the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in monitoring the situation and prioritizing areas for response.
“By making space data accessible to stakeholders, we are enabling informed decision-making and strengthening disaster response,” PhilSA’s director general noted, even as the agency continues monitoring satellite data as the situation requires.
ia/xf
