The Mines and Geoscience Bureau conducted the 2018 Geoscience Workshop on February 1 to 7, 2018 at Patio de San Jose Resort and Convention Center in Malilipot, Albay.

The workshop was jointly organized by MGB Central Office and MGB Regional Office No. V.  It was attended by key personnel from the Lands Geological Survey Division of MGB Central Office, technical and support staff from MGB RV as the host region, and six geologists from each of the Regional Offices.

Geosciences Division Chief Romeo Dalodado; Supervising Geologists Melvin Mantilla and Elaine Galido; Senior Geologists Liza Pacete and Beda Louie Cagampang; and Geologist II Ralph Angelo Plaza represented MGB Regional Office No. XIII in the workshop.

The main focus of the activity are as follows:

  1. Reporting of the MGB Central and Regional Offices status of accomplishments on the major programs of MGB for 2017 particularly the Geologic Quadrangle Mapping carried out in Regions V (Bicol Region) and IV A (CALABARZON), Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Groundwater Resource and Vulnerability Assessment, Mineral Reservation, Ground Subsidence Hazard Assessment and IEC on 10K Geohazard Maps;
  2. Merging and consolidation of the Geologic Quadrangle Maps generated by each region with the targets of the neighboring quadrangles generated by other regions;
  3. Discussion on standardization of ArcGIS-generated map symbols, color schemes, attributes and databases;
  4. Methodologies and standardization of presentation templates and forms for the IEC on VRA activities for 2018;
  5. Issues in the implementation of the above-stated various programs and concerns on laboratory matters; and
  6. Finalization of target areas, province and/or municipalities/cities for 2018.

Accomplishments for MGB RXIII were presented by Liza Pacete for the Geologic Quadrangle Mapping and Ground Subsidence Hazard Assessment; Melvin Mantilla for the Vulnerability and Risk Assessment; Elaine Galido for the Groundwater Resource and Vulnerability Assessment and Romeo Dalodado for the Mineral Reservation Program. Liza Pacete, Melvin Mantilla, Beda Louie Cagampang and Ralph Angelo Plaza also actively participated in the seamless integration of the region’s geologic quadrangle map outputs in Region V with the boundary quadrangle maps generated by other Regional Offices.