Japanese Ambassador Toshinao Urabe joined Albay Governor Jose Salceda at the turnover ceremony of the Japan-funded Project for Evacuation Shelter Construction in Disaster Vulnerable Areas in Province of Albay on March 3, 2014 in Legazpi City, Albay.
The grant aid, signed three (3) years ago, provided 739 million yen (approximately 398 million pesos) for the construction and rehabilitation of schools to be used as evacuation shelters in times of disaster in the Province of Albay.
The Province of Albay has always been a disaster-prone area, often plagued by pyroclastic flow caused by eruptions of Mayon Volcano and mud flow and floods caused by frequent typhoons. Under this project, the targeted facilities will be used as evacuation shelters to secure evacuees in times of disaster and will also be used as classrooms to provide students with safe and comfortable learning environment. The project seeks to strengthen growth and development in the region by enhancing disaster prevention and education facilities simultaneously for the people of Albay.
In his speech during the ceremony, Ambassador Urabe said, “In ordinary times, these school buildings will create a better learning environment and give better chance to the children of Albay. At the same time, when disasters caused by typhoons and mudflow strike, it will serve as evacuation shelters.”
Japan, as the top donor of ODA to the Philippines as well as a disaster-prone country itself, has supported the Philippines’ disaster mitigation efforts by sharing its experiences and lessons learned from the past natural disasters. This project reaffirms the continued commitment of Japan to extend cooperation in minimizing threats of disasters. This project is expected to further foster a strategic partnership between the two countries and serve as a model for other disaster-prone areas of the Philippines. – end –
*PHP-JPY Exchange Rate = 0.5383 (2011 July average)
Remarks by Ambassador Toshinao Urabe
Japanese Version
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