MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) held its second coordination meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to discuss the implementation of the JICA-funded Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) on road disaster prevention in the Philippines.
According to the DPWH on Wednesday, other countermeasures on mountainous roads in the country were also part of the discussion.
“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,” JICA-TCP Chairman Emil Sadain said.
The meeting was held on Tuesday, February 14, at the DPWH Head Office in Port Area, Manila.
Sadain said, in a statement, that the second joint coordinating meeting was a progress evaluation of the project’s continued execution in pilot areas of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Regions 7 and 11.
The pilot regions are anticipated to complete four outputs in two years or until 2025.
Reported outputs are as follows: Countermeasure Works; Emergency Response; Hazard Mapping, and; Road Disaster Information Management, which will be completed by the JICA counterpart.
DPWH stated that topographic and geographical surveys under Output 1 were either completed or scheduled to begin in all pilot regions during the first quarter.
Additionally, all regions carried out various slope protection projects, are developing an emergency response handbook, and are holding various emergency response or Output 2 training workshops.
While under Output 3, pilot road segments for danger maps were also identified. – Kimberly D. Albaño, INQUIRER.net intern