Bantala: APAC Solution Challenge 2025 Entry

Team AmBot: Google Developer Groups on Campus - USLS

AmBot is a three-member collective from the Philippines that embraces the spirit of bayanihan to tackle real-world challenges through tech. What began as “I don’t know” now drives discovery—transforming ideas into digital solutions with global impact.

Members:

• Octavio, John Roland L. | Chief Technology Officer, Full Stack Developer
• Labistre, John Dane M. | Chief Information Officer, UIUX Designer
• Javelona, Ignatius Warren Benjamin D. | Artificial Intelligence Lead, Data Engineer

About the App:

Bantala is a disaster-preparedness web app focused exclusively on communities near Mt. Kanlaon, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines. It empowers communities through:

• 🗺️ Interactive Evacuation Mapping
• 🤖 RAG-Assisted Chatbot
• 📰 Community-Driven Emergency Bulletins

Features

• Community Bulletin: A real-time, crowd-sourced update board where users can share on-the-ground information with varying tags and remarks to strengthen community awareness and response.
• RAG-Assisted Chatbot: A conversational assistant powered by Google Gemini that provides easy-to-understand answers to questions about volcanic activity, safety procedures, and preparedness in real time. Real-time data about the status of the Kanlaon Volcano is extracted through DOST-PHIVOLCS bulletin and database.
• Interactive Safety Map: A geolocation-based tool using Maps Javascript and Places API that helps users identify nearby evacuation centers and safe zones outside of the 6km Permanent Danger Zone radius, enhancing decision-making during volcanic emergencies.

Architecture Diagram

Tech Stack Used:

Other Repositories

• RAG System
• Web Scraper

Directory Structure

└── chococodes-solcha-bb/
    ├── README.md
    ├── components.json
    ├── eslint.config.mjs
    ├── next.config.ts
    ├── package.json
    ├── postcss.config.mjs
    ├── tsconfig.json
    ├── public/
    │   ├── assets/
    │   └── fonts/
    │       ├── Poppins-Bold.woff2
    │       └── Poppins-Regular.woff2
    └── src/
        ├── app/
        │   ├── layout.tsx
        │   ├── page.tsx
        │   ├── api/
        │   │   └── query/
        │   │       └── route.ts
        │   ├── chatbot/
        │   │   └── page.tsx
        │   ├── login/
        │   │   └── page.tsx
        │   └── map/
        │       └── page.tsx
        ├── components/
        │   ├── Footer.tsx
        │   ├── Header.tsx
        │   ├── InputField.tsx
        │   ├── Loading.tsx
        │   ├── Bulletin/
        │   │   ├── AddPostForm.tsx
        │   │   ├── components.tsx
        │   │   ├── Post.tsx
        │   │   └── VolcanoMap.tsx
        │   ├── Chatbot/
        │   │   ├── ChatBox.tsx
        │   │   ├── ChatInput.tsx
        │   │   ├── ChatWelcome.tsx
        │   │   └── components.tsx
        │   ├── Login/
        │   │   ├── components.tsx
        │   │   ├── MaskedImage.tsx
        │   │   └── SignInForm.tsx
        │   ├── Map/
        │   │   └── MapMarker.tsx
        │   ├── Sidebar/
        │   │   ├── components.tsx
        │   │   ├── SidebarItem.tsx
        │   │   └── SidebarLinks.tsx
        │   └── ui/
        │       ├── card.tsx
        │       ├── checkbox.tsx
        │       ├── select.tsx
        │       └── sheet.tsx
        ├── context/
        │   └── AuthContext.tsx
        ├── firebase/
        │   ├── addBulletinPost.ts
        │   ├── addUserCollection.ts
        │   ├── auth.ts
        │   ├── firebase.ts
        │   └── uploadImage.ts
        ├── hooks/
        │   ├── hooks.ts
        │   ├── useAuthCheck.ts
        │   ├── useBulletinPosts.ts
        │   └── useNearbySearch.ts
        ├── lib/
        │   └── utils.ts
        ├── styles/
        │   └── globals.css
        └── utils/
            ├── constants.ts
            ├── haversine.ts
            ├── sampleData.ts
            ├── types.ts
            └── utils.ts

Acknowledgement

The data used for monitoring and analyzing the status of Kanlaon Volcano was sourced from the following:

• National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
  Situation Reports (SitReps) from the most recent eruption were retrieved in PDF format and processed as part of this system's data repository.

• Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS)
  Real-time volcanic data was obtained through automated web scraping from the official PHIVOLCS website, with data extraction scheduled daily at 12:00 PM.

We acknowledge the efforts of these institutions in providing timely and reliable volcanic activity data to support disaster preparedness and public awareness.

Data Policy

This AI-powered chatbot does NOT predict, forecast, or issue warnings regarding volcanic activity. Instead, it serves as an informational assistant—using publicly available data to help users better understand the current status of Kanlaon Volcano.

The primary role of this chatbot is to enhance public awareness and understanding by providing simplified, structured, and contextual explanations of official data. By doing so, it aims to empower individuals with knowledge that can support informed decision-making and preparedness in the event of a volcanic emergency.

Use of DOST-PHIVOLCS Data

This system integrates data labeled as "public" from the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) in accordance with the following guidelines:

• Users of DOST-PHIVOLCS data must register with a valid email address and password. Registration is required only once.
• The data source must always be properly cited as: DOST-PHIVOLCS.
• Only DOST-PHIVOLCS officials are authorized to use the data for public forecasting of ongoing volcanic unrest in the Philippines.
• Redistribution or monetization of DOST-PHIVOLCS data is prohibited.

We fully respect and follow these policies, ensuring that this chatbot remains a support tool for education and disaster preparedness, not a substitute for official alerts or scientific authority.

For real-time advisories and official updates, always refer to DOST-PHIVOLCS and NDRRMC.

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APAC Solution Challenge 2025
Google Developer Groups on Campus - University of St. La Salle

All rights reserved | Octavio, Labistre, Javelona