DPWH-JICA Holds 2nd Coordination Meeting on Road Disaster Prevention

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) once again met with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the implementation of the JICA-grant – Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) on Road Disaster Preventions and Other Countermeasures on Mountainous Roads in the Philippines.

Held on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at the DPWH Head Office in Port Area, Manila, the meeting was headed by DPWH Senior Undersecretary and JICA-TCP Chairman Emil K. Sadain; Mr. Kuronoma Kenji, Senior Representative of JICA Philippines; DPWH Assistant Secretary and JICA-TCP Project Manager Constante A. Llanes, Jr.; Japan Embassy Representative Matsubra Tomohiro, as well as the representatives and officials of implementing offices.

“This is a timely assembly of experts as the country further strengthens measures that will ensure public safety in case of the “Big One”, and learning from the recent earthquake devastation in Turkey and Syria,” said Senior Undersecretary Sadain.

According to Senior Undersecretary Sadain, the second joint coordinating meeting is a progress assessment of the ongoing implementation of the project in pilot areas of Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Regions 7 and 11.

Pilot regions are expected to accomplish the following outputs in the span of two (2) years or until 2025: Output No. 1: Countermeasure Works, Output No. 2: Emergency Response; and Output No. 3: Hazard Mapping while the JICA counterpart shall have Output No. 4: Road Disaster Information Management.

In all pilot regions, topographic survey and geographical survey under Output 1 or Countermeasure Works were either carried out, or is expected to begin within the first quarter. All regions also implemented various slope protection works and currently formulating an emergency response manual, and conducting various workshops and trainings for Emergency Response or Output 2. Pilot road sections were also identified for making hazard maps under Output 3.

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