MANILA -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), joined by Japanese experts, held the first of a series of meetings to discuss the work plan in improving the capabilities of DPWH and its engineers in incorporating the latest technologies to address the problem of road disasters in mountainous areas.
DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan stressed the importance of the meeting specially to the continuing program of the Department on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
Secretary Bonoan has earlier created a Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) chaired by DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain to ensure the effectiveness and success of the on-going implementation of the Technical Cooperation Project on Road Disaster Preventions and other Countermeasures on Mountainous Roads in the Philippines, under the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The meeting held at the DPWH Head Office in Manila was participated by DPWH Senior Undersecretary Sadain; JICA Senior Representative Koronuma Kenji; Embassy of Japan in the Philippines Second Secretary Tomohiro Matsubara; DPWH Assistant Secretaries and JCC Vice Chairpersons Constante A. Llanes Jr. and Eric A. Ayapana; JCC members and Bureau Directors Melvin B. Navarro, Aristarco M. Doroy, Edwin C. Matanguihan, Reynaldo P. Faustino, Medmier G. Malig; Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Project Director Benjamin A. Bautista; Regional Directors Khadaffy D. Tanggol, Ernesto S. Gregorio Jr., and Rey Peter B. Gille; and Service Director Rhalf B. Cawaling, as well as Japanese experts Project Leader Kuwano Takeshi, Iwasaki Tomoharu, Takizawa Masahito, Kawato Katsuhshi, Aoki Kazuya, and representatives from the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).
Senior Undersecretary Sadain said that the cooperation between Philippines and Japan will help facilitate development, transfer and dissemination of relevant technologies, not just in mitigation, but also in the reduction of risks posed by disasters.
A work plan was presented by the JICA Project Team to establish coordination with the concerned Technical Working Groups (TWGs) for effective collaboration and smooth conduct of the project.
Secretary Bonoan said that the DPWH can take advantage of the technical assistance inorder to come up with a safe and resilient infrastructure.
Japanese experts will assist the Philippine government with technology transfer which will enhance the capability on implementation of permanent countermeasure works and response for slope disaster, enhance capability to establish hazard maps for road disaster risk reduction, and improve the operational capability on road disaster information management based on the Road Disaster Information System to be developed.
Given the amount of expertise that is gathered, I am confident that the first meeting will be able to gather timely development outcomes, added Senior Undersecretary Sadain.
The DPWH JCC members and JICA is set to meet for the second meeting on June 2023 for project evaluation and monitoring. (DPWH)
