Japanese gov’t turns over disaster reduction equipment to Philippines

April 17, 2019

The Japanese government on Tuesday turned over disaster reduction equipment such as trucks and radios to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) National Resource Operation Center, the Embassy of Japan said in a statement on Wednesday.

Minister Atsushi Kuwabara of the Embassy ofJapan attended the ceremonial turnover of the Japanese disaster reduction equipment under Japan’s Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) at the DSWD National Resource Operation Center.

The equipment was handed over by the Japanese government in the presence of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Roland Joselito Bautista and national government agency representatives.

Included in the 110-million yen package are 13 units of wing van delivery trucks and 1 set UHF repeater and 20 units of UHF based radios, which will be utilized in the Philippines.

Kuwabara said in the ceremony, “I hope this equipment will help our Filipino friends when they are in need in the time of disaster”. 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.

It 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. DMS