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Bound by a shared commitment to promoting and implementing integrated water resources management (IWRM) in river basins, the strong bilateral cooperation between ISU and Kyoto University has paved the way for the launch of the Japan-Philippines NEXUS Program on Water Security, which was formally inaugurated during the international project’s Inception Workshop and Ministerial Meeting at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, Japan on March 13, 2025. This initiative aims to develop new S&T techniques and technologies and has fostered multiple linkages with various universities in the Philippines and other ASEAN member states to mitigate negative impacts and enhance water sector security.
Being at the forefront as pillars and drivers of the IWRM-focused Japan-Philippines collaboration, the efforts and initiatives of Prof. Sameh Ahmed Kantoush, President of the International Organization on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Inc. (IO-CCA-DRRM) and Principal Investigator (Japanese team) of the aforementioned joint international R&D project; Prof. Ricmar P. Aquino, ISU President; Prof. Orlando F. Balderama, Vice President for Research and Development, Extension and Training; and Prof. Jeoffrey Lloyd R. Bareng, University Director for Research and Development and Project Leader of the NEXUS Program (Philippine team), led to the convergence of top executives, institutional leaders, and high-ranking officials from numerous national agencies in the Philippines and Japan during the aforementioned inception workshop and ministerial meeting.
The attendees of the inception workshop were warmly welcomed by Prof. Tomoharu Hori, Director of DPRI Kyoto University; Prof. Yasuyuki Kono, Vice President for International Strategy of Kyoto University; and Hon. Mylene J. Garcia-Albano, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Japan. Afterward, Prof. Tetsuya Sumi, a professor at Kyoto University and Vice President of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), highlighted Kyoto University’s initiatives in the Philippines. In addition, Mr. Takaaki Kusakabe, Director General for International Affairs of Japan Water Agency (JWA), elaborated on Japan Water Agency’s contributions to water resources management in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Prof. Aquino presented ISU’s efforts in advancing water resource management through education and research. He also highlighted, “ISU continues to advance research, foster innovation, and empower communities to create sustainable solutions for pressing global issues, such as water security, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability.”
Image and content credits: River Basins for Sustainable Development
Moreover, Ambassador Mylene De Joya Garcia-Albano delivered a keynote address on behalf of Hon. Rodito T. Albano III, Governor of the Province of Isabela and Chair of the Cagayan River Basin Management Council, on Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation on Integrated Water Resources Management. Similarly, Prof. Kantoush elaborated on the context, goals, and key themes of the NEXUS-Philippines Workshop and underscored the significance of the project, the proposed methodology for the Magat Dam, and the post-flood fieldwork conducted by the NEXUS Program R&D team. The workshop served as a platform for ISU, along with its academic and research collaborators from other Philippine universities and national agencies, to position itself as a leading Kyoto University-DPRI ASEAN satellite hub.
As Session 1 spotlighted the roles of institutions in water resources management, Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr., Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), who was represented by Ms. Ninaliza Escorial, Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), described the various S&T tools and innovations for IWRM and climate change. Furthermore, Dr. Marita R. Canapi, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner, elucidated the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in climate action and institutional partnerships. Meanwhile, Prof. Balderama, who was represented by Prof. Bareng, presented a review of the KU-ISU collaboration (2019–present) and an update on recent hydrometeorological disasters in the Philippines.
Additionally, in Session 2, which focused on the Japan-Philippines Nexus Program, Ms. Kaori Yamada, Chief of the Japan Science and Technology Agency, informed the participants about the NEXUS Program as R&D platform to promote and strengthen a sustainable relationship in research collaboration between Japan and ASEAN member states. In essence, Prof. Kantoush explicated the topic “NEXUS-Philippines (3S-WaRM): Goals, Research Methodologies, and Execution Plans.” Specifically, he underscored the challenge of optimizing dam operation amid the impacts of climate change and sedimentation and how hydrological monitoring and forecasting will be enhanced through the NEXUS Program to improve water resource management and ultimately develop a decision support system for dam and reservoir operations.
On the other hand, Engr. Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen, Administrator of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), presented the irrigation development in the Philippines. Moreover, Mr. Kitani Kazuhiro, Deputy Manager of the Japan Weather Association, discussed the topic “Ensemble Rainfall Prediction in Magat River Basin, Philippines: Utilization of European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).” In the same vein, Mr. Kusakabe explained the topic of integrated water resources management on a reservoir scale to emphasize the advancement of the IWRM approach in addressing new social and global issues.
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Following this, the third session revolved around water resources management in Japan. Dr. Junel Soriano, Director of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), presented various research for development (R4D) programs on water resources and climate change. Likewise, Ms. Denise Solano, Assistant Director of the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management, explained numerous plans and programs on soil with their corresponding impacts. On the other side, Dr. Saber expounded on the topic “Advances in Hydrological and Machine Learning Tools for Water Resources Applications.” Afterward, Prof. Sumi oriented the participants on the Strategic Innovation Promotion (SIP) Program to introduce dam optimization and management in Japan.
After the comprehensive multipartite exchange of information, a ceremonial signing of Memorandums of Agreement and Understanding (MOA/MOU) sealed the knowledge-sharing activity to boost cross-boundary exchanges and training with Philippine universities and expand collaborations with other ASEAN countries. Specifically, the expanded network of ISU-KU mutual partnership encompassed a Letter of General Agreement between JWA, NIA, and SN Aboitiz Power; MOU between ISU and the Provincial Government of Isabela for the establishment of a Disaster Prevention Center; and MOU among IO-CCA-DRRM, ISU, and its R&D collaborators—Romblon State University (RSU), Mountain Province State University (MPSU), University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), and Bulacan State University (BulSU)—for a Disaster-Related Consortium. This expansion of partnerships is a testament to ISU’s commitment to strengthening academe-government-industry collaboration toward more sustainable water management solutions in the Philippines and across the ASEAN region.
Image and content credits: River Basins for Sustainable Development