Apply now: Disaster risk reduction management training in Japan

This is a press release.

MANILA, Philippines – Amid their share of natural disasters, Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) opens its training program for Filipino young professionals on disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) and post-disaster recovery as part of JICA’s capacity building support to developing countries including the Philippines. 

The training, which will begin July this year, is under Japan’s Knowledge Co-Creation Program (Young Leaders) that aims to develop human resources and enhance capabilities of developing countries by sharing Japan’s experience and knowledge. 

“Japan and the Philippines share common experiences when it comes to natural disasters. We can learn mutually from one another through capacity building activities including dialogue and collaboration to strengthen our resiliency to disasters,” said JICA Senior Representative Kunihiro Nakasone. 

JICA said the training is timely as both Japan and the Philippines are coping with the recovery and rebuilding challenges from natural disasters. The Philippines is currently rebuilding areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and JICA is actively supporting the government’s build back better strategies. 

This year’s training ‘Regional Revitalization in Disaster Prone Area’ will include visits to  Higashimatsushima City and Ishinomaki City in Japan’s Tohoku Region. 

Tohoku was severely damaged during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The training aims to share Japan’s own build back better concept not just in hard infrastructure but also in terms of education and social welfare carried out in partnerships with civic groups.

Application is open until May 27, 2016. Information about the training program is available here.

The training program was an enhancement of Japan’s Youth Invitation Program (then ASEAN-Japan Friendship Program for the 21st Century and Training Program for Young Leaders) targeting ASEAN member countries before eventually expanding into 120 countries. More than 3,000 Filipinos already participated in the program since it began in 1984, thus making it instrumental in promoting friendship and mutual trust between Japan and the Philippines. 

For other details, please contact JICA Philippines Training Program Section at telephone number 889-7119 loc. 143 or email PerezChristian.PP@jica.go.jp. – Rappler.com

JICA is Japan’s comprehensive development institution, which handles technical cooperation, ODA loans and investment, and grant aid, as well as cooperation volunteers and disaster relief programs. JICA is one of the world’s largest bilateral aid agencies with its volume of cooperation amounting to about USD 12.3 billion for JFY 2014 and a world-wide network of almost 100 overseas offices.