JICA and DOST-PHIVOLCS to bolster PH disaster preparedness and response

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) signed the Record of Discussions for the new technical cooperation project, “Capacity Development for Monitoring and Information Dissemination of Earthquake, Tsunami and Volcano,” on 16 July 2024, at the DOST-PHIVOLCS office in Quezon City, Philippines.

The West Valley Fault, which runs through highly populated areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, may have the risks of a devastating over-seven-magnitude earthquake with more than fifty thousand casualties in Metro Manila and trillions of pesos in economic losses, according to the Risk Analysis Report by PHIVOLCS, the University of the Philippines Diliman, and others. Recognizing these serious risks, the new cooperation aims to strengthen the capacity of PHIVOLCS and other disaster management authorities and stakeholders to respond to earthquake, tsunami, and volcano information more effectively.

JICA Chief Representative SAKAMOTO Takema emphasized that, “We cannot underestimate the risks in this context, which directly affect economic losses and, more importantly, invaluable human lives. Therefore, JICA decided to further cooperate to enhance PHIVOLCS’s capability in providing fast, accurate, and timely earthquake information, tsunami warnings and advisories. With the signing of Record of Discussions today, it is expected that this new project will be launched at the timing of Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) dated October 14 -17 in Manila, which will be hosted by the Government of the Philippines this year.”

The new cooperation is part of JICA’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Philippines that features sharing Japanese expertise in the field of earthquake and tide level analysis, tsunami early warning, disaster information communication, awareness, and coordination. It will also include training programs in Japan to bolster PHIVOLCS’s institutional capacity in operating and maintaining its monitoring equipment and systems for volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, as well as in data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of warnings and information using the equipment provided through the JICA Grant Aid, “Project for Improvement of Equipment for Disaster Risk Management in the Republic of the Philippines.”

JICA continues to work closely with Philippine agencies and communities, among others, to improve disaster risk reduction and management capacities, thereby strengthening the country's resilience against natural disasters. This collaboration demonstrates JICA's commitment to building a safer, more disaster-resilient and prosperous nation. Aside from soft measures, such as this project, JICA also provides other disaster risk reduction and management collaborations with the Philippine government that offers equipment and hard infrastructure development.