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JICA seeks early warning system talks with Ph
By Nidz Godino
“In comparison with many other developing countries and i with many advanced nations, I believe  Filipino management of  floods and typhoons in many ways exemplary,” Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Tanaka Akihiko said after back-to-back typhoons battered  Philippines, JICA has expressed interest in initiating consultations with  country to strengthen early warning systems.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with Akihiko on Wednesday, November 2 0, during a courtesy call.
Tanaka said Philippines’ approach to flood management and its preparedness for tropical cyclones is “exemplary.”
He said despite six storms hitting Philippines in quick succession with some overlapping the country reported relatively low casualties.
It shows that the country’s disaster response system works more effectively than other nations, he added. For this reason, he said improving disaster risk reduction efforts by consulting with countries like Philippines aligns with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba priorities.
“We would like to have deeper consultations with government of the Philippines. Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized that disaster risk reduction is one of his priorities,” Tanaka told Marcos.
As of Thursday, November 21, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded 12 deaths as result of Typhoons Nika, Ofel and Pepito.
This figure was much larger when Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and Typhoon Leon ravaged the country, reporting 162 deaths as of November 12.
While past three typhoons may have caused fewer deaths, they left Filipinos grappling with extensive destruction.
Combined impact of these typhoons caused billions of pesos in infrastructure damage, affecting homes, roads, bridges, and schools. Agricultural lands were also inundated, destroying crops worth billions and disrupting country’s supply of rice and fish. According to NDRRMC, Kristine and Leon damaged 207,876 houses, with losses amounting to P3.38 billion.
Meanwhile, Typhoons Nika, Ofel, and Pepito damaged additional 51,921 homes. In total, 1,785 infrastructure projects sustained damage across all these storms, with roads and flood control systems bearing brunt of destruction.
All in all, these infrastructure damages cost over P12.59 billion.
Agricultural losses are another story. Around 12,653 hectares of crops were flooded and damaged, and more than 138,000 farmers and fisherfolk were also affected by these storms.
Marcos agreed with Tanaka’s idea of engaging in closer consultations, saying that new technologies such as early warning systems are important to develop considering intensified climate change effects.
“The early warning is becoming more and more important because we have noticed that whereas before, usual typhoon season, when storm is maybe two or three days away, even if it becomes storm surge, it slowly develops,” he said.
Currently, Presidential Communications Office has partnered with JICA to establish Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting system, aiming to digitalize state-run PTV-4 and develop Emergency Warning Broadcast System.
JICA is also one of Japan’s government agencies providing trillions in loans
| JICA funding for Philippines transport reaches P1.5 trillionJapan remains the largest source of financing for mobility projects in the Philippines, with P1.5 trillion worth… |
for Philippines’ transportation projects, including North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway Project, Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension, and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Rehabilitation Project.
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