UP Resilience Institute finishes licensing and certification from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for operating Remotely Piloted Aircraft

July 17, 2024 | By Richard Ybañez, Education Office and Audrei Anne Ybañez, UP NOAH Center

In the pursuit of quality assurance and compliance to government standards, UP Resilience Institute researchers have completed the certification and licensing of its drones and drone operators. Designated as “Remotely Piloted Aircraft” or RPAs by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), small drones flown in the country for commercial use must be duly registered with the civil aviation authorities. While not explicitly mandated by law, UPRI underwent the RPA registration process to ensure our partners that drone operations for research and public service conducted by UPRI comply with government standards and regulations. UPRI drones are now identifiable by their unique CAAP-issued aircraft markings.

UPRI’s DJI Mavic 3 Classic with CAAP-issued Aircraft Markings.

Two UPRI researchers, Mr. Richard L. Ybañez of the Education Division and Ms. Julian Marie Bernice M. Grageda of the NOAH Center Hazards Assessment Team are also now duly licensed RPA Operators for small drones. This ensures that UPRI’s drone operations in research, disaster response, capacity building, and public service activities is on par with CAAP regulations providing safety for the drone operators and the public. Further, CAAP-licensed UPRI researchers can work with other UPRI researchers, partners, and stakeholders in conducting research and training, disseminating a culture of safety in drone operation.

Ms. Grageda and Mr. Ybañez undergoing the RPA skill test.

UPRI has successfully utilized drones in many of its previous and ongoing disaster response and scientific research such as the 2019 Central Luzon Earthquake, 2019 Cotabato Earthquakes, 2020 Taal Eruption, 2022 Abuyog Landslide-Tsunami, 2022 Kusiong Debris Flow, and in the UK-IDRC funded CLARE programme. Published peer-reviewed articles and news posts may be found in the links below. Featured are select drone images from these events.

1. Imaging ground surface deformations in post-disaster settings via small UAVs

Fissures from lateral spreading located within farmland and beside an ephemeral stream, also being used as farmland in Floridablanca, Pampanga. A Post-earthquake imagery. B High-contrast imagery showing fissures. Deformation structures contained by white boxes. C Rehabilitated farmland 6 months after earthquake without evidence of lateral spreading. D Cross-section from drone-generated DSM showing the largest vertical offset due to the subsidence. Transect is indicated by the red line

2. Hazardous base surges of Taal’s 2020 eruption

Dunes of Taal Volcano Island. (A) General location of Taal Volcano Island. The area within the dashed lines is the Macolod Corridor, a 40-km-wide rift zone65. (B) Distribution of the 2020 base surge dunes. Circles refer to upper slope, middle slope, and lower slope boundaries. Areas with dune forms identified through satellite imagery are in red. Field validation was done in the southeast flank (yellow portion of map). (C) Photograph of the dune field. (D) Digital Surface Model of school overwhelmed by base surges. Sinuous dunes and runup of the base surge also occur inside the classrooms. (E) Plan view image of dunes showing elongate and lunate dunes. Bifurcation of dunes is also shown.

3. Post-Disaster Assessment of Abuyog, Leyte

Aerial imagery of a part of the landslide deposit in Abuyog, Leyte. In the background, the source of the landslide can be seen.

4. A Year Later: Analyzing the 2022 Kusiong Debris Flow and Landslides through Fieldwork

Aerial imagery of the source of the Kusiong debris flow and the path it took following the stream downslope.

Through CAAP certification, UPRI will continue to conduct its drone operations safely and effectively drawing from years of experience in scientific applications and in accordance with government standards and regulations.

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