
The Philippines and Canada have discussed ways how to strengthen their cooperation on civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.
OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said he met with officials of the Embassy of Canada led by Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Bruce Hartman last month to talk about how the two countries could work together in areas of digitalization and early warning system advancement; and review and updating of their DRRM protocols, framework, and system.
They also discussed the enhancement of their strategic coordination; ramping up of preparedness campaigns; and reinforcement of capacity building programs and activities from the national down to local level.
The cooperation proves to be significant as the Philippines has been a hotspot for different calamities such as typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions among others.
This would enable the government to further enhance its DRRM system to mitigate the effects of various disasters to vulnerable communities.
During the officials' meeting, Nepomuceno thanked the Government of Canada for its ongoing commitment to support the Philippine DRRM system through the existing and future partnership programs.
"He also stressed the importance of nurturing strong and meaningful collaboration with international partners in the attainment of DRRM goals and objectives," OCD spokesperson Edgar Posadas said.
"In addition, the undersecretary shared the OCD’s plans relative to the modernization and strengthening of the civil defense and DRRM capabilities of the country," he added.
Meanwhile, Hartman assured the Philippine government of support from Canada in efforts being prioritized of the OCD.
"He also expressed his willingness to work with the Philippine government for a better understanding of its needs and requirements in DRRM," Posadas noted.
Posadas said the OCD and the Embassy of Canada will hold further talks on DRRM cooperation.
The discussion was an offshoot of the visit of Canadian Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan to the OCD on March 4, 2023.
There, Sajjan conveyed the Canadian government’s willingness to support the Philippines’ DRRM system including the strengthening of its search and rescue operation capabilities.