25th Board of Directors Meeting and 23rd Annual Conference

On June 9th, 2015, the 25th Board of Directors Meeting, and the 23rd Annual Conference, were held at the 6^th and 8th floor meeting room of the Shoyu Kaikan Building. Thereafter party followed at the 6th floor SCOPE (the Service Center of Port Engineering) meeting room.

Mr. Takeshi Nakazaki, Director of International Planning Office, Industrial Port Department, MLIT attended the Board of Directors Meeting (picture 1).

Dr. Takashi Owaki, Director-General, Ports and Harbors Bureau, MLIT attended and addressed the Annual Conference (picture 2).

Snap-shot of the meeting

Mr. Sato, Planning Committee, reported Cambodian Seminar

All items on the Agenda were approved without objection

Thereafter, the cocktail party were held at the 6th Floor SCOPE meeting room.

Welcome Party for the participants of JICA Program on Sustainable Port Development and Planning

On June 12th, 2015, the reception was held at the Hotel Grand Arc Hanzomon.

The Venue was new for the occasion. Although no model performance of Iaido was taken place, the party was very warm and the Participants to the JICA

Course as well as the welcomers had a good time.

Guest of honor, Dr. Owaki, Director-general of the Ports and Harbors Bureau made a welcome speech (picture 1)

Rep. of the Patcipants, Mr. Mohamed Tamer Dahdouh Sayed Ahmed, Egypt made a thank-you speech (picture 2)

Mr. Takayuki Kaneda, President of WAVE (Waterfront Vitalization and Environment Research Foundation) made a welcome speech on behalf of ten (10) port-related organization which co-sponsored the party (picture 3).

OCDI (Overseas Coastal Area Development Institute of Japan) presented T-shirts with OCDI logos on it to the Participants for their daily use during the stay in Japan (picture 4).

Group Photo (picture 5)

Excursion for the Participants to the JICA Program to see Japanese Society and Culture

The excursion was held on June 13th, 2015, which aims to provide the Participants who arrived only a few days ago, the opportunities to encounter Japanese society as well as culture. The event was the first of this kind, but fortunately well accepted by the Participants. JOPCA, therefore would continue to have the similar event after making some improvement on the schedule and places to visit.

The Excursion this time was for the Participant to the JICA Sustainable Port Development and Planning Course. All the Participants, total 19 men/women (16 countries) participated in the excursion. 10 JOPCA members including Mr. Ikeda, President of JOPCA, as well as 3 (three) junior MLIT officials volunteered to guide the tour.

The tour started at 8 o'clock in the morning from JICA Yokohama Training Center (YTC), headed for the first destination, Tukiji Market where participants were very much interested in the active atmosphere of the gigantic market. Then they headed to the Hama-rikyu Gardens, where several group photos were taken (an example is shown below). They enjoyed strolling through the well maintained and quiet garden to the water bus point. Then enjoying the sceneries of wharves and warehouses of Tokyo port, and waterfronts of Sumida River, the party arrived at Asakusa, where the Sky-Tree tower soars into the sky.

For lunch, the party ate Tempura, a typical Japanese food. While some struggled to use chopsticks and others used forks having given up chopsticks, everybody got satisfied with Tempura. After lunch, the party strolled Nakamise, Asakusa, enjoying the atmosphere of old Japan.

At 3 pm, the party disbanded and the members were announced to be free to go. To those who wished to go Shinjuku or Akihabara for shopping, some Japanese participants offered guide and support. Those who wished to go directly to YTC, had an opportunity to charge their IC ticket at Asakusa station.

This small excursion surely provided the Participants an opportunity to know Japanese society as well as culture, hence made their first holiday in Japan a satisfactory one.

OCDI・JOPCA joint Workshop on the World Movement surrounding the port sector

On October 1^st, 2015, the said Workshop was held, in which 4 former Embassy secretariats and 3 former JICA.experts presented the port-related topics of the countries where they had worked to serve. About 110 participants took part in.

Opening Address by Mr. Tatsuhiko Ikeda, the President of JOPCA

Guest's speech by Makoto Mizutani, Director, Industrial Port Policy Division, MLIT

Topic 1 by Mr. Naohiro Akagi, Director, Planning and coordination Division, NILIM, MLIT (former secretary of the Japanese Embassy at Egypt)

Topic 2 by Mr. Keisuke Kanemaru, International Coordination Officer, International Planning Office, Industrial Port Policy Division, MLIT (former Secretary of the Japanese Embassy at India)

Topic 3 by Mr. Tomohiro Iizuka, Chief of the 2^nd Planning Section, Planning Division, Ports and Airports Department, Kanto Region Development Bureau (former Secretary of the Japanese Embassy at Cambodia)

Topic 4 by Mr. Kazuhiro Fujii, Construction Management Officer, 6th Construction Management Office, Tokyo Airport Development Office. Kanto Region Development Bureau (former Secretary of the Japanese Embassy at Panama)

Topic 5 by Mr. Ryuuichi Kuwajima, Chief Researcher, OCDI (former JICA Expert to Philippines)

Topic 6 by Mr. Kouichi Miyake, Fellow Researcher, PARI (former JICA Expert to Myanmer)

Topic 7 by Mr. Hidero Sasaki, Fellow Researcher, PARI (former JICA Expert to Indonesia)

Welcome Party for the Participants in the JICA Training Course on Strategic Port Administration and Management

On October 16^th, 2015, the said party was held at Hotel Grand Arc Hanzomon. The number of participants counts 18 from 16 countries; Brasil, Cambodia, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Moroco, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam. The program started October 12 , 2015 and ended November 21, 2015.

Opening Ceremony of the Program

Welcome Address by Mr. Michio Kikuchi, Direcotr-General, Ports and Harbors Bureau, MLIT

Speech by Ms. Brown Jacqeline, South Africa, on behalf of the program Participants

Welcome Party was initiated by the toast of Mr. Takeshi Kawashima, President of CDIT on behalf of 9 port-related organizations which cooperatively carried out the Reception.

Each Participant introduced he/herself.

OCDI presented T-shirt as a gift.

Group photo.

6th JOPCA Seminar on November 26, 2015

The Seminar was held on November 26, 2015 at Shoyu Kaikan with 100 audience.

Opening address by Mr. Ikeda, the president of JOPCA

Opening remarks by the distinguished guest, Mr. Geshi, Deputy Director-General for Engineering Affairs, MLIT

Overseas Business of Nippon Koei Co. Ltd , by Mr. Naoki Kudo, Director, Ports and Airports Department, Overseas Consultant Business Headquarter, Nippon Koei Co. Ltd

The roles and business policy of JOIN (Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Cooperation for Transport and Urban Development), by Mr. Hironobu Ito, Senior Director, JOIN

Prospects of port related project of OCG (Oriental Consultants Global Co. Ltd), by Mr. Kenichi Iwama, Port Department, OCG

Overseas Project; the past and the future, by Mr. Koichiro Harada, Director, Overseas Business Headquarter, Japan Port Consultants Co. Ltd

2nd Philippine Seminar

The seminar was held on February 2, 2016, at Manila, the republic of Philippines, on the topics of disaster prevention in and around port

In 2010, JOPCA had launched a new program to establish JICA Alumni Association (JAA) which consists of the Participants to various JICA Programs for port sector. Through the JAA, JOPCA intends to assure and maintain the tie between those Participants and JOPCA members. Since then, JOPCA visited 5 ASEAN countries (Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia), and had 5 JAAs. On each occasion, a seminar of relevant topic was held back-to back. As the fiscal year 2015 activity, JOPCA visited Philippines early February 2016 and held the 2nd .meeting of JAA and a seminar of disaster prevention in/around port.

The seminar was hosted by DOTC (Department of Transport and Communication), PPA (Philippine Port Authority), MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan) and JOPCA. The seminar began at 9:00 and ended at 16:00 at Diamond Hotel, Manila. From the Philippine side, there were 94 participants from DOTC, PPA, DOPW, CPA, SPA and private port operators, including the Participants to the JICA Programs who are eligible to the JAA. From the Japanese side, Embassy of Japan, JICA Office, JOPCA member companies and other entities took part in the opportunity, which counted 34.

The seminar attracted public interests and four local TV stations came and interviewed and the news were on next morning.

① Opening ceremony

The Opening Ceremony began with the National Anthem of both countries, (picture 1) followed by the speech of Mr. Ikeda, the President of JOPCA (picture 2) Then, Mr. Santos, acting President (vice President) of PPA, welcomed the whole participants (picture 3), and Mr. Niwa, the head of JICA Philippine Office made a remarks (picture 4).

Mr. Fujita of planning committee of JOPCA, advised the purpose and function of the JAA-Philippines which had been established 5 years ago (picture 5).

Mr. Esguerra, representative of JAA-Philippines introduced Mr. Miole, Assistant to the President, as the successor (picture 6).

Mr. Miole made an acceptance speech (picture 7).

Group Photo (picture 8)

② Seminar for disaster prevention in/around port

The session1 included: Dr. Suzuki, Team Leader, PARI (Ports and Airports Research Institute of Japan) on "Failure mechanism of coastal structures during storm surges" (picture 9); Mr.Richard S. Elopre, ESD Manager, PMO-Bohol, PPA on "Powerful Bohol Earthquake, October 15, 2013" (picture 10) and Dr. Takujiro Miyamoto, Yokohama National University on "What we learned through Great East Japan Earth Quake"(picture 11)

After the three lectures, the speakers were invited to the front stage to answer the questions to be made. From the floor, important comments were made such as; further details be taught on disaster prevention education as well as BCP of port sector, for their importance, and changes in the disaster prevention measures of Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake be worth learning as was the changes after Great Hanshin Earthquake.

The session 2 included: Dr. Takahiro Sugano, Coastal Development Institute of Technology & Port and Airport Research Institute "Study on seismic measures for coastal areas industrial complex" (picture 12); Dir. Liza Fidelis F. Cañada, MNSA, Civil Defense, Executive Officer, NDRRMC on "Preventive Measures　for next Disaster in Philippine port" (picture 13) and Dr. Kenji Ono, Kyoto University on "BCP (Business Continuity Plan) for port sector" (picture 14).

After the three lectures, the speakers were invited to the front stage to answer the questions to be made. From the floor, valuable comments were made such as; how effectively people could evacuate when great tsunami struck, and what would be an appropriate economic measures after once thousand year typhoon or earthquake (picture 15).

③ Closing Ceremony

After the Seminar, each participant received Seminar Completion Certificate from Mr. Miole and Mr. Ikeda (picture 16).

Finally, Mr. Sato of the Planning Committee of JOPCA, made a closing remarks and committed to further strengthen the tie (picture 17).

④ Poster Session

Parallel to the Seminar, poster session was held next to the seminar room. JOPCA brought in 11 posters which showed the chaotic situation just after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the recovery thereafter, and the Philippine side 10 posters of ports' damages by December 15 earthquake as well as typhoon Yolanda of the same year. All the participants saw the posters which provided them to deepen their understanding on the disasters (picture 18) TV crews also studied the posters.

Study Excursion to the port of Batangas

Following the Seminar, 22 JOPCA members out of 24, visited the Port of Batangas by the PPA supplied bus, led also by PPA. It was about 2 hour high-way drive from the central Manila to the port where PPA officials were bothered to brief about the port (picture 19), followed by a small trip inside the container terminal (picture 20).

The container berths at the port of Batangas which was constructed by Japanese ODA, had been increasing its throughput, because of congestion at the port of Manila. It was also understood that the port acted as an alternative to the port of Manila, at the time of disaster.