Delegates from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippines visited Taichung City Hall today to gain insight into the operation of Taichung City's disaster prevention mechanism, and they were impressed with the city hall's policies on civilian coordination and disaster prevention information pertaining to new residents and foreign spouses. According to Deputy Director General of Fire Bureau of Taichung City Government Yuen-chi Yang, the city hall has exchanged disaster prevention experiences with Japan, Germany, and South Korea on an ongoing basis, and it is hoped that the exchange with the Philippines will foster further cooperation opportunities between the two countries in relation to disaster prevention mechanism.

DILG Regional Director, NCR Maria Lourdes L. Agustin led an entourage of 14 delegates from the Secretary's Office and other regional offices to visit Taichung City Hall. They were received by Deputy Director General of Fire Bureau of Taichung City Government Yuen-chi Yang, who also introduced to them the establishment and operation of disaster prevention mechanism in Taichung, including aspects such as disaster potential, mitigation, preparedness, response, and post-disaster recovery.

Deputy Director General Yang suggested that the city hall has engaged in experience sharing with Japanese NGO Japan Bousaisi Society, International Search and Rescue (ISAR), Bundesverband Rettungshunde e.V. (BRH) from Germany, and Pohang Earthquake Response Bureau from South Korea over the past several years. By receiving the visiting guests from the Philippines, it is hoped to learn from practical experiences in both countries and further strengthen Taichung City's disaster prevention mechanism.

Numerous Filipino delegates commended Taichung's development towards all-hazard disaster response system, and they hope to foster disaster prevention-related cooperation opportunities between Philippines and Taiwan, so as to refine both countries' disaster prevention mechanisms in order to swiftly respond to the impact of accidents caused by global climate change.