Representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met with officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 5 Office to discuss updates on disaster response.
In a statement, the DILG said part of the discussion is the utilization of the information from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
Region 5, or Bicol region, is frequently the path of disastrous weather disturbances, aside from two active volcanos that are found in the region-- Mayon Volcano in Albay and Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon.
During the activity, the JICA also inquired about the response of the local government units (LGUs) to the information provided by the DILG in times of unfavorable weather conditions.
Spanning Feb. 2021 to Feb. 2024, the JPOW-2 project has identified the municipality of Nabua in Camarines Sur as one of its target areas.
JPOW-2 refers to the second phase of the technical cooperation project for the Capability Enhancement for High Quality Weather Observation, Forecasting, Warning, and Information in the Philippines.
The project is valuable in disseminating timely and relevant weather information in the Philippines, especially during the rainy and typhoon season.
The DILG noted that “Mr. Hideyuki Sasaki, Mr. Hiroshi Satoda, Ms. Chiho Mototani, and Ms. Thea Mendoza from JICA, along with Mr. Dan Dominic A. Triumfante and Ken B. Occidental from PAGASA, met with DILG 5 Local Government Capacity Development Division” discussed valuable insights during the meeting.
“The partnership between Japanese experts, JICA and the DILG 5 showcases a shared commitment to bolstering weather forecasting capabilities and preparedness in the Philippines,’’ the DILG stated.
With improved observation and forecasting techniques, the DILG expects that the Philippines can “better safeguard its citizens and minimize the adverse impacts of extreme weather events.’’