Filipino and Japanese Youth Exchange Disaster Management Practices in "Koukan"

by: Geomajie Core Group 

Edited by: UP Department of Geography

Participants of the forum take a group photo

On February 15, 2019, the Geomajie core group and the Junior Philippine Geographical Society - UP Diliman, in partnership with the Department of Geography, held a forum on Disaster Management entitled Kouken: Cultural Exchange on Disaster Management. Koukan is Japanese for Exchange.

Ms. Dominique Amorsolo, Instructor of Geography, shares her insights.

The forum focused on how disaster management is handled in the Philippines and Japan. Mr. Youji Ishii, Ms. Moeri Toda, and Ms. Yukiko Nakano from CityNET Youth Japan shared insights and knowledge on how Japan responds to disasters. They presenter different infrastructure projects of the Japanese government, such as underground flood tunnels and the awareness campaigns that are undertaken, such as the Iza! Kaeru Caravan. The caravan is aimed at educating young children and their families about disaster prevention through fun ways. The caravan was conducted in recent visits to Payatas.


Mr. Joel Licup, the Geography Department Representative, presented the different agencies involved in disaster risk reduction in the Philippines. He high lighted that in the past. poverty and insufficient government support have hindered disaster awareness Gradually campaigns conducted by local governments of citizens have increased disaster prevention awareness in the Philippines.

Participants share insights on disaster prevention and awareness strategies of Japan and Philippines.

An open forum gave attendees the opportunity to give insights. The activity ended with a dinner hosted by the Department of Geography. 

Forum on Geographical Studies: Research Engagements of Young Filipino Geographers

 
The UP Department of Geography and Philippine Geographical Society (PGS) invite everyone to attend the first Forum on Geographical Studies.  The event will feature ongoing research projects of young scholars and researchers of the University of the Philippines on various themes of human geography in relation to exploring the diverse aspects of Philippine society.

The program for the said forum will be the following:

1:00 - 1:10        National Anthem
                           Invocation


1:10 - 1:20       OPENING REMARKS
           
                          Dr. Darlene J. Occena-Gutierrez
                          Chair, Department of Geography

                          Emmanuel B. Garcia, EnP
                          President, Philippine Geographical Society


1:20- 2:30        PANEL 1: GEOGRAPHY AND CRIMES
                          Inequality, Governance, and Crime: A Macro-Scale Exploratory Analysis  
                          Prof. Ma. Simeona M. Martinez
       
                          A Preliminary Study on How GIS Know-How can Spatially Represent 
                          the Distribution of 19th Century Illegal Gambling in the Province of Manila 
                          Prof. Marco B. Lagman

                          Spatial Realities Inside the Quezon City Jail 
                          EnP Emmanuel B. Garcia

                          OPEN FORUM


2:30-3:45         PANEL 2: DISASTER EDUCATION
                          Child Partivipation and Disaster Risk Reduction
                          Prof. Yany P. Lopez

                          Flood Impacts and Mitigation Activities in Filinvest East
                          Mr. Johnson Damian

                          Observations on the Maps and Mapping of Land Use and Land Cover in
                          the Philippines 
                          Mr. David Garcia 

                           OPEN FORUM


3:45 - 3:50       CLOSING REMARKS 
                          Dr. Meliton B. Juanico 
                          Member - Board of Directors, Philippine Geographical Society


4:00 - 5:00       PGS ANNUAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
                          President's Report
                          Updates


The forum will be on December 12, 2012, 1-5PM, at the Palma Hall 207, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Philippine Queer Geographies: Gender, Sexuality and Space

The Department of Geography and the Proud to be LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Campaign hosted a forum on Philippine Queer Geographies: Gender, Sexuality and Space last August 29, 2012, held at the CSSP AVR (PH 207) from 1-5pm. This collaborative effort, the ‘coming out’ of Philippine Queer Geographies, aimed to discuss and put forward variegated concerns and issues about gender identity, sexuality, and space in the Philippines.  Invited speakers were songwriter/performer Tao Aves, former president of LGBT organization Babaylan  Hender Gercio, fashion industry practitioner Santi Obcena and Ira Briones who is into full-time work on LGBT rights and welfare, as well as HIV and AIDS.

The speakers shared their experiences about how gender identity and sexuality are expressed and accepted in different spaces and places.  Ms. Aves discussed gender issues in performative spaces.  She shared that as a performer, she did not experience any form of discrimination, which could be due to the fact that she ‘looks’ heterosexual.  However, her use of ‘she/her’ instead of ‘he/him’ in her songs elicits noticeable reactions from the audience, as she is expected to sing about the opposite sex.  Meanwhile the fashion world, which is dominated by gay men designing clothes for women, is more accepting of people of all gender identities and sexual orientations, according to Mr. Obcena.

The University of the Philippines as an academic space is still a long way from being gender-sensitive in Ms. Gercio’s opinion.  Though there are courses that tackle gender issues (e.g. PanPil 19, SocSci 103) there are still courses that put distinction between men and women, particularly PE Courses (e.g. Basketball for Men and Women, Swimming for Men and Women, etc.).  The use of the male/female dichotomy for the category ‘sex’ in the UPCAT form and other forms used by the University was, for Ms. Gercio, an example of a gender-insensitive practice. 

As a reaction to the rising HIV cases among MSM (men who have sex with men) in the country, Ms. Briones discussed the emergent concerns of the gay community.  She talked about how discrimination is happening not only to the members of the LGBT community, but to HIV patients as well.  She stressed the importance of support and acceptance for people who have contracted HIV.

Geographers, Ms. Ros De Vera, Ms. Mylene De Guzman, Mr. Kristian Saguin and Dr. Andre Ortega integrated the issues that were identified by the speakers and talked on how these issues could be further explored by members of the academe, in the hope of increasing awareness about gender-related concerns in the country.#  Mylene de Guzman