THE JAPAN government continues to mainstream disaster risk reduction in Philippine schools as part of its commitment to make students and teachers equipped during natural disasters.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency along with the Department of Education, Japanese non-profit group SEEDS Asia, and Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education spearheaded a seminar on the matter in Cebu City over the weekend.

JICA said the move is aimed to help mitigate the impact of disasters among the vulnerable sector, including teachers and students.

“The seminar summarizes the findings and models developed from the completed JICA-SEEDS Asia-DepEd cooperation Promotion of School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Cebu Province, as well as the kick-off of the new cooperation project on Strengthening and Promoting School-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Central Visayas,” JICA said.

Among the program results was the establishment of a regular safety inspection and a disaster response system in pilot schools, which was coordinated with local governments and villages, it added.

Meanwhile, JICA Senior Representative Yanaguichi Masanari emphasized the importance of bridging disaster resilient infrastructure and behavior change through education for a better world and society.