1. Makati DRRMO Visits Kobe for Benchmarking Tour
CityNet-Plus Arts welcomed members of the Makati Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) leadership team for a benchmarking tour from September 19 to 22. This week-long visit followed an expanded itinerary of the program that CityNet-Plus Arts debuted earlier in the month alongside the CityNet Secretariat (please see September newsletter). This time, the group surveyed two more learning centers, Abeno Tasukaru (Osaka) and Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park (Awaji), in addition to the DRI Center and Sakai City General Disaster Prevention Center. This allowed the delegates to obtain a more comprehensive overview of different learning center setups varying in scale, scope, layout design, and operation models. Moreover, apart from information sessions with Plus Arts and the Kobe Crisis Management Office, the DRRMO also met with the UNDRR Kobe Office to discuss ongoing and upcoming initiatives for the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments.
One key objective of benchmarking the variety of educational facilities, including liaising with management staff, is for the DRRMO to gather inspiration or best practices and foster connections with counterparts for building Makati City’s first dedicated DRR learning center- the DRR Academy.
The DRR Academy is part of Makati City’s targeted, creative approach to disseminating disaster preparedness knowledge and reducing awareness gaps among citizens. CityNet-Plus Arts has been supporting this ambitious project since its initiation in 2017 and looks forward to its continued involvement as well as helping to promote and facilitate engagement from more Japanese institutions and local governments.
With factors such as urbanization and climate change exacerbating disaster vulnerability, public awareness and engagement are common priorities for many developed and developing cities. As an established leader in DRR and resilience-building in Southeast Asia, Makati City plays an important role in localizing and further disseminating Japanese Bosai expertise in the Philippines and beyond.
2. Challenge Event Makes Bosai Fun
NPO Plus Arts organized three fun activities for the children’s Bosai Challenge event held at Kobe Kids’ Land on October 8. Sponsored by Sompo Japan and NHK, the event aimed to introduce Bosai culture and disseminate disaster preparedness concepts to young children through various information and game stations. Children could redeem a prize after visiting every station and completing the designated activity, ranging from crafts to dancing exercises, which taught participants practical disaster or survival knowledge. The Stations were hosted by a variety of organizations including the Kobe police and fire departments, high school volunteers, the DRR club of a college, and a grocery retailer.
3. Taipei City Signs MOA to Host 16th Disaster Cluster Seminar
Taipei City Fire Department visited the CityNet-Plus Arts office on behalf of the Taipei City Government to sign the Memorandum of Agreement designating Taipei City as the host of the 16th Disaster Cluster Seminar in 2024. Both parties expressed their anticipation for the upcoming event and reiterated their commitment to foster inclusive and collaborative DRR capacity-building through inter-city partnerships and open knowledge exchange.
After the signing ceremony, Plus Arts Chairperson, Mr. Nagata, presented Plus Art’s mission and past projects, including those with the Taiwan Design Center, and discussed future collaboration opportunities with Taipei City. The group then visited the DRI Center for a facility tour.
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