Officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) met with representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and discussed a project that would improve the country's coastal condition for disaster risk resiliency and infrastructure.
DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain said the DPWH-JICA project, with focus on resilience of coastal communities against disasters, will enable the Philippines to increase its capacity in coping with climate change through engineering interventions.
Sadain said the June 12 meeting discussed the timeline and roadmap of the five-year technical cooperation project that aims to develop DPWH’s capacity on coastal engineering through human resource development and formulation of technical guidelines under the coastal expertise of JICA.
JICA Philippines Office Senior Representative Masanari Yanaguichi and his team stated that government engineers and specialists will be trained to better understand coastal hazards, formulate much-needed coastal-related guidelines as well as plan, design and implement pilot projects towards a more sustainable approach to coastal management.
Sadain said the meeting was also participated by representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), PAG-ASA, Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), and the University of the Philippines (UP).
“As we have seen in recent years, the widespread decline of our coastline is without a doubt a vital and increasingly urgent issue that needs to be addressed. DPWH takes this both as a challenge and an opportunity to pursue the integrated approach to coastal management with the primary aim of protecting coastal communities and equally protecting the ecosystem,” said Sadain.
“We would also like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to the Government of Japan through JICA for all the support and assistance given not only from the technical cooperation perspective but as well as in helping rebuilding the Philippine economy and our nation,” he added.