Japan Launches Aid Program In Mindanao

MANILA (Mitchel Confesor / 15 Dec) – The Japanese government has launched a program for Central Mindanao to build classrooms and buildings in eight schools, a couple of water systems, a complete set of post-harvest facilities, and a training center for Muslim women worth some USD624,000.

The program, called the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development or J-BIRD, will renovate and build classrooms among other projects in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces.

Bangsamoro refers to Muslims inhabitants of Mindanao.

The J-BIRD program will also construct in Maguindanao two potable water systems and a livelihood center for Muslim women, and a warehouse, solar dryer and purchase post-harvest equipment and farm machineries in North Cotabato.

The Japanese ambassador to Manila Ryuichiro Yamazaki has already signed the contracts for each of the twelve J-BIRD beneficiaries as part of the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects or GGP of Japan in the Philippines.

Tokyo earlier sent a development expert Masafumi Nagaishi to join the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Cotabato City in Maguindanao to form the so-called Mindanao Task Force (MTF).

The task force is composed of representatives from the Japanese Embassy, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Japan, through JICA, and the Philipines’ Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) under Secy. Jesus Dureza have spearheaded a series of capability-building seminars throughout Mindanao in partnership with the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), the economic arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which is currently negotiating peace with the Arroyo government.