Japanese Ambassador Toshinao Urabe turned over mobile drainage pumps to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in a ceremony held on July 9, 2014 in Pasig City, Metro Manila for the Japan-funded Project for Improvement of Equipment for Disaster Risk Management. The ceremony was also attended by the Secretary of Public Works and Highways Rogelio L. Singson.
The assistance, signed two (2) years ago, provided 1 billion yen (approximately 518 million pesos) for the for the procurement of eight (8) mobile drainage pumps as well as the installation of Real-time Earthquake and Tsunami Monitoring Systems and a Tsunami Simulation Database to assist the Philippines' disaster risk reduction efforts.
In his speech during the ceremony, Ambassador Urabe referred to the importance of preparedness to natural disasters and said "Investment in disaster preparedness pays. It is my sincere wish that the experience acquired through this pilot project will promote public awareness and stimulate further disaster mitigation investment in the Philippines."
Japan, as the top ODA donor 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 the strategic partnership between the two countries and serve as a model for other disaster-prone areas of the Philippines.
*PHP-JPY Exchange Rate = 0.5181 (2012 March average)
Speech of Ambassador Toshinao Urabe
Japanese Version
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