00:00The Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA will strengthen its alliance with the country
00:05to further boost disaster preparedness and response.
00:08BTV's Clazel Pardilla has the report.
00:13The Philippines and the Japan International Cooperation Agency are set to enhance their
00:18partnership to improve the country's early warning system following the impact of recent
00:25typhoons. An early warning system is a critical mechanism that delivers timely alerts on impending
00:32dangers or disasters to help mitigate risks and save lives.
00:37This initiative was a key topic during a courtesy call by JICA President Dr. Tanaka Akihiko
00:43to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacanang Palace. President Marcos Jr. emphasized the
00:50importance of adopting modern technologies to address the challenges posed by climate change.
00:57He also underscored the need to continue promoting clean energy programs
01:01considered vital solutions to the climate change.
01:20JICA, a Japanese agency providing support to countries worldwide, praised the Philippines
01:29for its exceptional disaster response capabilities despite the frequent typhoons affecting the
01:35country. The agency noted that the recorded number of casualties remains significantly low,
01:40comparable to more developed nations. Dr. Akihiko expressed confidence that the Philippines'
01:46expertise in disaster management could make a substantial contribution to global efforts
01:52in this field.
02:17To further enhance disaster preparedness, the Presidential Communications Office is
02:23collaborating with JICA to digitize PTV4 through digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
02:30This initiative aims to establish an Emergency Warning Broadcast System, or EWBS, which will
02:37provide vital alerts during emergencies. Under this system, the National Disaster Risk Reduction
02:44and Management Council will send pre-notifications to local disaster councils and use Emergency
02:51Warning Broadcast System alerts from the Command Operations Center at the Emergency Operations
02:57Center. These messages will then be broadcast nationwide through PT&I stations. PT&I's EWBS
03:04servers will transmit these alerts as broadcast signals to set-top boxes, ensuring that critical
03:11warnings reach households across the country promptly.
