JICA to assist RP in flood control

MANILA, Philippines - The Japan International Cooperation Agency is set to assist the Philippines put up flood control, declogging of waterways and reconstruction of roads damaged by heavy rains and massive floodings caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng last year.

In an interview with The STAR, Hideo Noda, JICA officer to the Philippines, said JICA officials in the Philippines are closely coordinating with the Philippine government to determine the extent of the damage caused by two successive typhoons in September and October in 2009.

“So we started survey on the area hit by two typhoons,” Noda noted during a briefing held at the JICA headquarters in Tokyo, Japan as part of its invitation to media representatives for disaster management training.

“Last year, two typhoons hit the Luzon Island, we received request from the Philippine government to help rehabilitate the damage caused by the typhoons,” he added.

According to Noda, the Philippine government and the World Bank have made comprehensive survey on the damage caused by Ondoy and Pepeng, through the Philippine Disaster Assessment.

Based on that survey, Noda pointed out that Japan is now conducting its own assessment. “We will help in the flood control area and road sectors.”

It can be recalled that Marikina City, Pasig City and a major part of Rizal were submerged in rain and floodwater due to continuous heavy rain brought about by typhoon Ondoy with international name Ketsana on Sept. 26, 2009.

Authorities said the amount of rain unleashed by Ondoy in nine hours was equivalent to a 30-day continuous rain.

Residents in the affected area were caught unprepared.

Even before the flood caused by typhoon Ondoy subsided, another typhoon Pepeng hit the country, particularly Pangasinan and other parts of northern Luzon, leaving many areas submerged in floodwaters on Oct. 3.

Since it established office in 1968 until 2008, JICA has given the Philippines a total of $2.1 billion grant-in-aid, $1.9 billion in technical cooperation and $6.9 billion in bilateral loans.

With the devastating earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters happening in different parts of the world, JICA has vowed to intensify its effort to educate people on disaster prevention, reduction and management.   – Cecille Suerte Felipe