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JANUARY - MARCH 2 0 1 6 New JICA President Kitaoka visits Philippines, reaffirms strong Japan-PH ties

Photo from Malacanan Photo Bureau

Photo shows (left) President Benigno Aquino receives JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka in Malacanan Palace; (top right, from left to right) Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) Commissioner Ibrahim Ali, BTC Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, Pres. Kitaoka, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) 1st Chair Ghazali Jaafar, MILF 2nd Vice Chair Alem Solaiman during the courtesy call in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat; (bottom, right) with Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Rear Admiral William Melad New Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) The 8.6 kilometer road project under JICA’s Community President Shinichi Kitaoka made his first official visit to Development in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao the Philippines and met with Philippine President aims to raise agriculture prospects and jobs in the Benigno Aquino III, reaffirming the strong bilateral region. relations and development cooperation of Japan and the Philippines. More than half of the population in Mindanao is involved in agriculture, fishery or forestry. Despite the During the meeting, Kitaoka expressed Japan’s agriculture potential, Mindanao remained one of the continuous support to Mindanao peace and country’s poorest regions with 54% poverty incidence, development while citing the country’s ‘culture of based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority reconciliation.’ Earlier, Kitaoka inaugurated a 1.1B yen (PSA). farm-to-market road project in Alamada, North 1 Cotabato. of JICA Philippines in 2009 and has served in key JICA names new Chief Rep executive positions in JICA Southeast Asia Division and in Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in the Philippines in Washington DC and in the ASEAN region.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), one of the world’s largest bilateral aid agencies, named Mr. A graduate of University of Susumu Ito as its new Chief Representative in the Oxford in the United Philippines. Kingdom and Japan’s Shinshu University, Ito also Ito succeeds Noriaki Niwa as head of JICA Philippines held various key positions Office, a post Niwa held from April 2014 to March 2016. related to finance management and As JICA Chief Representative, Ito will bring his expertise development under the on development economics and finance in moving Overseas Economic forward the strategic development cooperation Cooperation Fund (OECF) between Japan and the Philippines that spanned more of Japan in the Middle East than six decades. Ito was former Senior Representative and European countries.

The projects are projected to spur development of the JICA, DAR turn over P126M 1,579 hectares of agricultural land by significantly reducing travel time of farmers and residents from San agri infra to farmers in Ramos and Anak to Ponggo and nearby provinces from 2.5 hours to 30 minutes. Travel costs have also been Quirino Province reduced by 87% from 75 pesos per sack of agriculture The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and produce to 10 pesos. the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) formally turned over agricultural infrastructure projects The increased connectivity aims to also encourage amounting to P126-million to Eastern Nagtipunan farmers to cultivate high value crops and channel their Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) in Quirino Province transport savings to investments, while also providing to benefit some 5,237 farmers and residents. residents access to basic social services like schools and hospitals. The infrastructure projects include the 5-kilometer Katimbang Bridge, (with 358.32-meter road Under the ARISP initiative, farmers are assisted through approaches) as well as post-harvest facilities under the construction of basic rural infrastructures, such as JICA-DAR Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support bridges, farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, Project – Phase III or ARISP III. and potable water supply, to increase both crop productivity and income. ARISP also facilitated the ARISP III is an official development assistance (ODA) introduction of viable agribusiness and other livelihood loan project implemented by DAR in collaboration with opportunities for agrarian reform beneficiaries. the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

“The Katimbang Bridge can be considered as a bridge of hope, especially for the residents of Barangay San Ramos, as they now have better access to basic services and jobs. The bridge is indeed a big help to our communities, as we can now travel with ease during any kind of weather,” said Mr. Pedro Pandongit, Chairman of Quirino Tribal Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

“We are thankful to DAR, JICA, DPWH and the local The Municipal Local Government of Nagtipunan represented by government for their continuous assistance and Sanggunian Bayan Member Mr. Flor Perez receiving the Certificate of leadership. We promise to take good care of the bridge Turn-Over and Award of the Katimbang Bridge from the Department of Agrarian Reform and JICA Chief Representative Mr. Noriaki Niwa (Photo and the ARISP subprojects,” Pandongit added. from DAR) 2

50 Years of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) Program

JOCVs in a light moment during the anniversary event while showcasing their products

More than 150 stakeholders from different parts of the Philippines joined the commemoration of the 50 years of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) Program in Manila on February 22, 2016 at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.

During the celebration, JICA launched a commemorative publication highlighting the experiences of past and present volunteers and held exhibit display of the program’s milestones and products developed by JOCVs with their local counterparts.

On the program's 50th year, JICA vows to continue assisting the Philippines in strategic development areas namely community development, environment JOCVs dispatched in the Visayas region gave a short education, design, disaster prevention and relief, food presentation on their work and realities on the field processing, and organic farming among others. There are currently 45 Japanese volunteers in the Philippines dispatched in 13 provinces. To date, more than 1,500 Japanese volunteers have been dispatched to the Philippines to support JICA’s cooperation and grant aid activities. 3 News from the Field JICA turns over 237 million yen equipment for Tacloban airport rehab The Japanese government through JICA turned over 237 million yen equipment to support the rehabilitation of Tacloban Airport.

The equipment consists of rescue fire fighting vehicles for emergency response, baggage x- ray inspection systems, and walk-through metal detectors that will improve Tacloban Airport’s safety capabilities, and disaster resiliency.

“We hope that the new airport equipment will help move forward the build back better strategies of the Philippines for Typhoon Yolanda recovery,” said JICA Senior Representative The rescue and fire-fighting vehicles provided by JICA will be used in Tacloban Tetsuya Yamada. Airport to facilitate immediate response during accidents involving aircrafts

JICA’s equipment assistance is a component of the Japanese aid agency’s 4.6 billion yen grant aid program for rehabilitation and recovery from Typhoon Yolanda. Grant aid refers to financial assistance provided to developing countries with no obligation for repayment. It covers cooperation in social, and economic infrastructure, education, health, and environment for nation building.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) sought the assistance of JICA in improving the resiliency of the Tacloban Airport. Japanese experts train PAGASA on using new generation weather satellite

JICA dispatched a team of Japanese experts to the Philippines to train technical personnel of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on using new generation weather satellite under the JICA-PAGASA J-POW Project (JICA Project for Enhancing the Capacity on Weather Observation, Forecasting and Warning).

The Japanese experts came from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) which operates the Himawari 8 useful in monitoring severe weather events in the Philippines, particularly tropical cyclones.

“By using high definition images, Filipino meteorologists can improve their ability and track the paths and intensity of typhoons coming to the Philippines,” said Mr. Hayato Nakamura, Project Formulation Advisor for DRRM of JICA Philippines.

To date, 130 PAGASA technical personnel have been trained under the J-POW project. 4

‘What Happens in Disasters’ – a children’s story book on disasters launched

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Education (DepEd) launched recently a story book for school children entitled, “What Happens in Disasters”, in a move to raise disaster awareness in the Philippines. The book narrates accounts of selected children survivors of natural Photo shows officials of JICA headed by Chief Representative Noriaki Niwa (center), DepEd disasters in Bohol, Albay, led by Secretary Armin Luistro, and Grades 4,5, and 6 students of Pasig Elementary School Leyte, Manila, and Samar. during the book launching

JICA-assisted Livelihood Project Kalye Café launched to benefit street children

An alternative livelihood project called Kalye Café was launched in Quezon City recently as part of livelihood support to some 80 street children in vulnerable communities.

This initiative is one of the activities of the project entitled, Project to Protect Children’s Rights by Children on/off Streets implemented by the International Children’s Action Network (ICAN) Foundation in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency through Street children beneficiaries of ICAN are now employed in Kalye its Technical Cooperation for Grassroots Café where they are also trained to manage and operate the Projects. business Through the efforts of ICAN, street children along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City organized the Producer Kalye Cooperative is focused on fostering an environment that respects the rights of children by engaging them in community activities including livelihood.

“For many years, we’ve partnered with JICA to engage vulnerable local communities in addressing issues on poverty, and livelihood opportunities. The Kalye Café hopes to answer the need to support the rights of children to grow, participate, and live better,” said ICAN Project Manager Ms. Nami Iwashita.

In the Kalye Café, children are trained not only how to bake various breads but also on the management and

operation of the Café. The profit from the café will support their education or support their households. 5

Feature

“I volunteered to help even if I had nothing left as all my things were washed away by the typhoon,” said Labordo, 32, a specialist at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Office VIII in Palo, Leyte.

In 2015, Labordo’s fate took a new turn as he was selected to join a new batch of young professionals for a JICA training in Japan.

The training, called Knowledge Co-Creation Program (Young Leaders), highlighted Japan’s rural development and rebuilding experiences after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

They visited Japan Agriculture Cooperatives vegetable centers in Tohno City in Iwate Prefecture in Tohuko Region, affected by the quake, and stayed with local farming families and visited a coastal area where rebuilding is ongoing.

“In Japan, everything about the 2011 natural disaster was documented. I hope that we can do the same with our Typhoon Yolanda experience,” added Labordo. Labordo with an officer of the producers’ association in Mayamori River Upstream He added, “The JICA training helped me understand our interconnectedness with our neighbors like Japan’s experience stirs hope Japan. I also learned that even if we’re from different domains of experiences (Labordo was a nursing for a young Filipino scholar graduate) young people like myself could still contribute to development.” in Typhoon Yolanda area Upon his return, Labordo helps implement Sulhog (a To some generations, much is given, while for others local term for ray of light), the reconstruction plan much is expected. The new generation, a saying goes, that combines all recovery efforts in Eastern Visayas. rendezvous with destiny.

The day after Typhoon Yolanda swept away houses and For more information on JICA’s Knowledge Co- damaged Tacloban City, parents of Niño Archie Labordo Creation Program 2016 (Young Leaders), please thought he was among the casualties. But, it seems visit destiny has turned its favor to Labordo, who along with http://www.jica.go.jp/philippine/english/activities other volunteers survived the disaster and assisted /activity02_03_02.html people's evacuation in Sto. Nino Church in Tacloban City.

About JICA JICA Philippines Office 40F Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza JICA is Japan’s comprehensive development institution, which handles 6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City technical cooperation, ODA loans and investment ,and grant aid, as well as Telephone: +632 889-7119 cooperation volunteers and disaster relief programs. JICA is one of the Facsimile: +632 889-6850 world’s largest bilateral aid agencies with its volume of cooperation Website: www.jica.go.jp

amounting to about USD 12.3 billion for JFY 2014 and a world-wide network Editorial Team Jennifer Erice of almost 100 overseas offices. Lara Javier Maffy Carandang 6