Japan turns over rescue vehicles to PH, pledges to continue disaster relief support

Held on Monday, October 4, 2021, the Japanese government has turned over Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) equipment at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.=

Led by Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, the ceremonial turnover was attended by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Peace and Order Bernardo C. Florece, Jr., PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, and other distinguished guests.

According to a statement by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, the HA/DR package consists of equipment, such as rescue vehicles, water purifiers, as well as search and rescue equipment.

It was funded by the Government of Japan (GOJ) under the Economic and Social Development Programme worth JPY 2.5 billion, which was signed last November 13, 2017.

“Japan and the Philippines are both vulnerable to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and typhoons, due to their climate, geography, and topography.” The statement read.

“As the top ODA (official development assistance) bilateral donor of the Philippines, Japan will continue to support the Philippines in its HA/DR efforts in the evolving threat of natural disasters,” it added.

The equipment are “expected to contribute to saving more lives and reducing the cost and recovery time in the case of disasters.”