MANILA, Philippines — Some one billion yen (about P518 million) worth of earthquake and tsunami monitoring systems, as well as mobile flood control equipment, will be turned over on Wednesday (July 9) by the Japanese government to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe and Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson will appear during the program, to be held Wednesday morning at the DPWH’s Flood Control Management Office in Barangay (village) Sta. Rosa, Pasig City.
The two officials will witness the “installation of the quake and tsunami monitoring systems and a tsunami simulation database and the turnover of eight mobile drainage pumps.”
In a statement, the Japanese embassy said the equipment were part of the north Asian country’s “project for the improvement of disaster risk management” in the Philippines.
“The project reaffirms Japan’s commitment to help the Philippines minimize the threats of disasters,” it emphasized.
The embassy pointed out that Tokyo, which it called the “top official development aid donor” to Manila, “has supported the nation’s disaster mitigating efforts by sharing its experiences and lessons it learned from past natural disasters.”
It expressed confidence the project would “further foster the strategic partnership between the two countries and serve as a model for disaster-prone areas in the Philippines.”
In a related development, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, the technical arm of the Tokyo government’s official development aid program, has conducted a series of flood control workshops it jointly conducted with the DPWH in local government units in the Camanava area in northern Metro Manila. Camanava is short for the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela.
The area, particularly the coastal and low-lying communities of Malabon and Navotas, has been prone to flooding.
During the workshops, the participants “discussed ways to address the current flooding situation, including the improvement of drainage and solid waste management systems, as well as measures to adapt to climate change.”
The JICA has urged “all stakeholders to continue working closely together to fully realize, sustain and enhance the effects of flood control systems for better living conditions and the promotion of economic activities” in the area.
It added, “through the sharing of knowledge, expertise and resources of stakeholders, the vision of flood-free barangays (villages) can be realized.”
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