Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) and the Philippines’ Iloilo City signed an agreement on enhancing early earthquake detection and precipitation measurement June 10 in the Philippine city.
According to the National Science and Technology Council, the accord was signed by NCDR Director Hongey Chen and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas and witnessed by representatives from the Philippine’s National Resilience Council. The deployment of 24 earthquake early warning devices with automatic rain gauges will be incorporated into the city’s disaster response systems to further strengthen its real-time monitoring capabilities.
During the signing ceremony, Chen emphasized that Taiwan and the Philippines are both located in disaster-prone areas. The two sides’ technological cooperation will boost overall disaster prevention capacity and social resilience in the region, he said.
Treñas expressed appreciation for the NCDR’s long-standing support to the city, adding that the pact reflects the city government’s determination to promote emergency preparedness.
Following the ceremony, Chen visited Iloilo’s disaster risk reduction and management office and met with Ernest Howard Dagohoy, president of the locally based Central Philippine University, to discuss issues such as disaster prevention education.
The NSTC said in its statement that the agreement demonstrates its commitment to ramping up international disaster prevention technology exchanges. Under the council, the NCDR will also continue to expand relevant cooperation with other Southeast Asian countries and promote the principle that natural disasters know no borders, it added. (YCH-E)
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