From 1975 to 1982, Punongbayan had multiple roles. First as associate professor of structural geology in the University of the Philippines from 1975 to 1982. He became a director of the Mines Research Division in Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) in 1977 to 1982. In the 1978, he became the president and general manager of Synergistic Consultants, Inc. Afterwards, he became a professor of geology at University of the Philippines in 1982. He was the director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) from 1982 until his death in 2005. Punongbayan's reputation was known globally and he was considered a respected figure in the volcanology and seismology community. Throughout his career, he had plenty of accomplishments such as: a licensed geologist, professor, consultant, public servant and author of numerous scientific papers about geophysics and more than 50 books, community organizer and participant in dozens of international conventions for research preventions of natural hazards, and a notable expert in volcanology, geology, disaster preparedness and seismology. A former governor of the
Philippine National Red Cross, "RSP", as many of his colleagues and friends known him, became a member of the task force of the Development of Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Prevention Master Plan for the Asia-Pacific Region and Philippine's representative in the ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology (COST) Sub-Committee on Meteorology and Geophysics. Punongbayan's effort to closely monitor
Mount Pinatubo and his information campaign to apprise nearby communities of the volcano's impending eruption saved thousands of lives in 1991. Dr. Punongbayan was a father of four. ==Recognition==