Dr.

Raymundo Santiago Punongbayan [13 june 1937 – 28 April 2005] was the former
director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology [ PHIVOLCS]. He served
from 1983 to 2002. Punongbayan became popular after handling two well-known calamities,
the 1990 Luzon earthquake and the 1991 Pinatubo eruption. PHIVOLCS is the government
agency in charge of conducting volcanic and earthquake monitoring in order to generate data
that could be used to predict volcanic eruptions and earthquake occurrences.
Punongbayan graduated from the University of the Philippines [Diliman] in 1960with a
degree of Bachelor of Science in Geology. He finished his PhD. In geology from the University
of Colorado in 1972. Punongbayan was extremely accomplished: a licensed geologist,
professor, consultant, public servant and author of many scientific papers. He was also a
Father of four children. A prominent scientist in the global community, he was considered an
authority in the fields of volcanology and seismology.
At the time of his death, he was serving as a member of the Philippine National Red
Cross Board of Governors. Shortly after noon on April 28 2005. Punongbayan and eight others
died in a helicopter crash at Cabaldon, Nueva Ecija.With Punongbayan in the Philippine Air
force [PAF] Huey helicopter [ with tail number 324] were four staff members of Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology [PHIVOLCS] AND FOUR Air force crew member to
assess the place of the disaster preparedness operations program of the government.