Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno has said the country will continue its efforts to strengthen Philippine-Japan ties on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).
According to him, the initiative would prove beneficial to the OCD after Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) officials paid a courtesy call last week at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
“We are pleased with the recent visit…Japan is one of our steadfast partners or strong allies in DRRM. We are grateful for their continued support to us. Their best practices in DRRM are invaluable and worthy of emulation,” Nepomuceno said.
During the said visit, the OCD provided a briefing on various systems, mechanisms, and efforts concerning Philippine DRRM.
The agency covered topics on Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption Monitoring and Early Warning Systems in the Philippines; Standard Operating Procedure for Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption Preparedness, Response, and Recovery; Evacuation Plans and Safe Zones for Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption in the Philippines; and the Ongoing Efforts to Improve Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption Preparedness in the Philippines.
The OCD and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have also engaged in several capacity-building initiatives as part of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management-Capacity Enhancement Project Phase partnership program.
