Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya emphasized the importance of educating and empowering children in disaster risk reduction during his opening remarks at the Fifth World Tsunami Museum Conference (WTMC5), part of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR2024) in Manila recently.

Building on the success of previous conferences, this year’s WTMC5 focused on “Empowering the Next Generation: Roles of Disaster Museums for a Reslient Future.”

“These opportunities enable them to protect themselves and become agents of a resilient future within their families and communities,” Kazuya said.

He further noted that “museums play a vital role in passing on the experiences, lessons and wisdom gained from facing tsunamis and other disasters to the next generation.”

The conference also featured Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Mayor of Sendai City, Japan, Kohri Kazuko, and head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Kobe Office, Matsuoka Yuki.

Additionally, a group of high school students from Sendai City participated, presenting their project on visiting disaster risk reduction museums.