PDRRMC Embarks on Geo-Cloud Program in Japan
CAPITOL NEWS
IN preparation for the full run of the first GeoCloud Integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) in the Philippines, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Pangasinan embarked on the JICA Geo-Cloud Knowledge Co-Creation Program in Japan recently.
PDRRM Officer Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro represented the province in the Knowledge Co-Creation Program in the Japanese Cities of Kawasaki and Yokohama and the Shizuoka Prefecture as part of the information dissemination phase of the GIS project.
Pangasinan is the first province in the country that will operate such pioneering tool for the advancement of DRRM in the region.
“The idea of being able to generate and access real-time, relevant data with the efficiency of retrieving information is in line with the vision of Governor Amado ‘Pogi’ I. Espino, III of good governance through accessible knowledge,” Oro said.
The PDRRM officer said that the Japanese tri-local government unit immersion tour was an eye opener showing how the GeoCloud Technology is a good investment for disaster preparation, response and rehabilitation.
Through the tour, Oro said that representatives to the tour will be able to have a hands-on know-how of the actual operation of the system to ensure its smooth launch in the province and the country.
He said that this is a great start to forge a good bilateral DRRM relationship with Japan.
Upon arrival in Kawasaki, the participants visited the headquarters of the GIS solutions provider company, Informatix and later they attended a workshop in the venue.
Oro and other members of the delegation were greeted by Informatix Chairman Masanori Nagashima and Chief Executive Officer Shoichi Mihara.
The next day, the group headed to the Kawasaki City GIS to study the application of the LGU of the technology on system management, family registry and residence service, crisis management and urban planning.
After that day, the team moved to Shizouka Prefecture to take a peek at the LGU’s utilization of the system in wide-scale services and information generation.
While in the prefecture, the PDRRM officer was interviewed by a crew from Japan’s premier broadcast network NHK and leading local paper Kyodo News.
Oro, in the interview as shown on TV and published on NHK’s website, highlighted Pangasinan’s resiliency amid prevailing natural hazards, which could be developed further with the introduction of GIS to PDRRMC.
For the final day, the participants went to Yokohama City and toured the Disaster Risk Reduction Learning Center, a state-of-the-art simulation center for people to learn to reduce and prevent disaster damage.
The field study was culminated by a program conducted by the GIS project proponent, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at its headquarters in the city.
Oro said that the GIS in the province will be fully operational by August 2017.
Aside from Pangasinan, other JICA-selected grantees of the trailblazing GIS technology in the country are the towns of Lingayen and Binmaley and Dagupan City. /RMCL
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