The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) will continue to bolster its partnership with Japan on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), according to Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno.

Nepomuceno made the statement following a courtesy call by officials from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) last week at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“Japan is one of our steadfast partners in DRRM,” Nepomuceno said. “We are grateful for their continued support to us. Their best practices in DRRM are invaluable and worthy of emulation.”

During the visit, the OCD briefed the Japanese officials on various systems, mechanisms, and efforts related to Philippine DRRM. Topics discussed included earthquake and volcanic eruption monitoring and early warning systems, standard operating procedures for disaster response, evacuation plans, and ongoing efforts to improve disaster preparedness.

The Japanese officials are currently in the Philippines for the Japan-Philippines Humanitarian and Disaster Response Cooperation Project 2024.

Additionally, the OCD and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have been engaged in several capacity-building initiatives as part of their partnership program on DRRM.