The Philippines and Hungary are looking forward to improve their cooperation on disaster response operations, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) disclosed Tuesday, June 14.
NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad said he met with Hungarian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Titanilla Toth, and Mr. Adrian Kiss, chief executive officer of Hungarian Water Technology Corp. (HWTC), on Monday to talk about improving both countries' relations particularly on disaster response.
"The meeting focused on the updates on the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Loan offered by the Government of Hungary to OCD for the purchase of 16 mobile water treatment units from the HWTC," Jalad said.
The OCD previously expressed its intent to avail the ODA for the purchase of additional water treatment units to support other regions in their disaster response operations.
The OCD is coordinating with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to process the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) requirements for the acquisition of the 16 water treatment units.
In 2020, the HWTC donated a mobile water treatment equipment to the Philippines which was used in various disaster operations such as the Typhoon Rolly operations in Virac, Catanduanes on November 8 to 17, 2020 where it provided more than 100,00 liters of drinking water to the affected communities.
The said equipment is movable from Fort Magsaysay to any areas that might need emergency supply drinking water during a disaster situation.
The equipment is currently stored at the NDRRMC alternate Government Command and Control Center (GCCC) in Nueva Ecija as part of its potable water system.