#earthquake

Navigation app Waze gave out notifications to its users in the Philippines reminding them that today is the day that MMDA will conduct the Shakedrill 2015 in preparation for the expected earthquake in the country. This morning's 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Looc, Occidental Mindoro, has put the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's (NDRRMC) SMS alerts in the spotlight as most of them arrived almost an hour late. In the event of an impending tropical cyclone, tsunami, earthquake, or other calamities, Mobile Phone Services Providers are mandated to send out Emergency Alert and Warning Messages at regular intervals as required by the NDRRMC and other relevant agencies; 2. In the case of earthquakes, PHIVOLCS has to collect and validate data before they forward a warning. Versus Google's Android Earthquake Alerts System Following this morning's earthquake, many have compared NDRRMC's alert system to Google's Android Earthquake Alerts System, which arrived in Android phones in the Philippines in June 2021. It basically turns any Android phone into a mini seismometer, joining millions of other Android phones out there to form the world’s largest earthquake detection network. The system uses the tiny accelerometers in smartphones that can sense signals that indicate an earthquake might be happening. Read more in our articles including "Motorists watch out: List of roads closed today for earthquake drill" and "Why NDRRMC alerts arrive late".