Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) - Press Release No.26 - 2018
The Government of Japan turned over the Marabut Municipal Hall to the Government of the Philippines in a ceremony held on June 7, 2018 in Marabut City, Samar. The Marabut Municipal Hall is one of the projects under the Japan-funded “Program for the Rehabilitation and Recovery from Typhoon Yolanda”. Second Secretary Shintaro Ichiki of the Embassy of Japan, Chief representative Yoshio Wada of JICA Philippines, Municipal Mayor Elizabeth Ortillo of Marabut and Provincial Director Judy Batulan of DILG Samar attended the ceremony, during which the representatives of prospective beneficiaries in Marabut expressed their deepest appreciation to the Japanese Government.
The Marabut Municipal Hall, which was severely damaged by Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013, was rebuilt to enable the delivery of administrative service for the people in the region. A total of 4,550,000USD was provided for this project from the Government of Japan. This Marabut Municipal Hall is expected to strengthen the functions of evacuation centers in the area and improve administrative services to help disaster victims overcome vulnerability as well as stabilize the living and production base.
The Program provides assistance for recovery and reconstruction in areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda and focuses on social infrastructure such as healthcare facilities, schools and local government offices; economic infrastructure such as airport, common industrial facilities and power facilities; and disaster preparedness infrastructure such as meteorological radar systems. Through this Program, Japan helps the Philippines build a resilient society against natural disasters and achieve sustainable growth.
Japan, as the top ODA donor to the Philippines as well as a disaster-prone country itself, has supported the Philippines’ disaster mitigation efforts by sharing its experiences and lessons learned from past natural disasters. With its policy of “Build Back Better”, the program is expected to further foster the strategic partnership between the two countries and serve as a model for other disaster-prone areas of the Philippines.