Taiwan and the Philippines yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance bilateral exchange and experience-sharing on landslide and debris flow disasters.
The MOU, titled “Partnership on Landslide and Debris Flow Disaster Research,” was signed by Taiwanese Representative to the Philippines Wallace Chow (周民淦) and his Filipino counterpart, Silvestre Bello III.
Bello is the chairman of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), which represents the Philippines’ interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties.
Photo: CNA
Due to the geographical proximity of the two countries, both face similar natural disasters, such as typhoons, earthquakes and landslides, Chow said during the signing ceremony.
A recent example is the massive earthquake which struck on April 3, measuring a magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale, which left at least 18 people dead and caused widespread damage in his hometown, Hualien County, Chow said.
It is imperative for both governments to strengthen collaboration in the field, he said.
The MOU is expected to facilitate future joint research and development on investigation, monitoring and early warning systems, as well as remote sensing technology, Chow said.
The collaboration would educate and empower communities in responding to natural disasters and enable the creation of more resilient technology, he added.
Bello said the MOU marks another milestone in the Philippines-Taiwan relationship that would help both sides address critical issues in mitigating landslide and debris flow disasters.
The MOU would facilitate wider cooperation “transcending national and local boundaries,” Bello said.
The deal was sealed yesterday during a half-day workshop held at the Ministry of Agriculture office in Taipei, attended by experts from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to exchange techniques and share experiences on landslide and debris flow disasters.
The ministry has worked closely with the institute over the past few years and jointly organized international seminars to conduct in-depth discussions on natural disaster management issues, share valuable experiences and develop closer ties, it said.
The MOU signed yesterday covers cooperation on soil and water conservation technology, geological disaster research, climate change impact assessment, adaptation strategies and the application of high technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence to disaster management, the ministry said.
The two parties are to jointly organize seminars, workshops, education and training, based on scientific research and technological innovation, to jointly improve their ability to handle landslides, it added.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS