Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) conducted Philippine Army Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) capability assessment on its visit to a military camp in Albay on Friday.

Col. Louie Dema-ala, Army public affairs chief, said during their visit at Camp Simeon Ola in Legazpi City, the delegates from JGSDF discussed disaster preparedness with the officials from the Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Region V.

He said Maj. Ryosuke Isshiki of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and Japan Ministry of Defense official Megumi Yoshida delivered their remarks during the meeting.

Dema-ala said the "meeting is part of the four-year Japan-Philippines HADR Cooperation Project Framework that aims to enhance both forces’ capability to effectively respond to various types of disasters such as volcanic eruption, tsunami, earthquake and flood."

"This is the continuing program with Japan on the enhancement of our HADR capabilities, it's an assessment on the current capabilities for possible assistance, in terms of training and equipment they can provide," he said.

"There is no commitment yet, it's just an assessment and then later on whatever the result of their assessment, then they will discuss what we need from what is available from them that they can give to us," he added.

Before their visit in Albay, Dema-ala confirmed that the JGSDF also visited Army's HADR unit at the 525th Combat Engineering Battalion in Quezon City on Wednesday.

After their visit to different military camps, Dema-ala said the JGSDF was to leave the country Friday. Robina Asido/DMS