Engr. Dean Aldrene Omo Badua, Instructor at the Institute of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering of the North La Union Campus, has been chosen for a scholarship grant awarded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and offered by the Japan National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS).
Engr. Badua is going to pursue a Master in Disaster Management under the Flood Disaster Risk Reduction Program of the Public Works Research Institute – International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management (PWRI-ICHARM). This will be his second master’s degree, having previously earned a Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering, majoring in Land and Water Resources Engineering with a cognate in agrometeorology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
A specialist in land and water resources engineering, Engr. Badua also serves as the PAGASA-DMMMSU Agromet Station In-Charge. He is among the 14 Filipino government officials selected to pursue their graduate studies in Japan under the Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP). His scholarship will take him to Japan for his scholarship from September 26, 2024 to September 13, 2025.
On September 6, 2024, JICA held a special send-off ceremony for the scholars, which included Engr. Badua and other officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
When asked about his thoughts on his scholarship, Engr. Badua gladly shared: I am very grateful that I was chosen to be a scholar of the JICA, especially under the flood disaster program. Japan, as we know, is very similar to the Philippines in terms of the presence of disaster risks in earthquake, tsunami, and most importantly and commonly due to flood. In addition, Japan is in position to share their knowledge and expertise in risk reduction having the one of the strongest and most highly-funded disaster risk reduction system in the world. Flood events cannot be precluded, but flood disasters can be prevented through different management and technical strategies which, Japan is good at. I expect that the learnings I will gain from their country will be applied to our nation.
“Aside from learning technical knowledge, first-hand exposure to their beautiful culture, society, and topography is a bonus and a new dimension to this scholarship program. It will help us scholars better understand Japan as a whole and forge friendships with other countries,” he continued. (By Ayu)