News FROM

OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 2018

Philippines opens JICA-assisted new Bohol Panglao International Airport The Philippines inaugurated the new Bohol Panglao International Airport, which is seen to boost the country's investments and tourism. The new airport is expected to accommodate 3.4 million passengers and will also launch flights to international destinations. The newly inaugurated airport The airport, completed under JICA Official Development Assistance (ODA), is the first eco-airport in the Philippines that uses Japanese technology to save energy and promote sustainable tourism. Dubbed as the Philippines' "green gateway to the world", the airport features solar panels in its passenger terminal, higher roofs for natural daylight and ventilation to seep in, and geotextiles in its drainage system for sustainable waste management.

Said airport is part of JICA's support to the Philippines transport infrastructure priorities and is symbolic of the long-standing partnership between JICA and Bohol since the 1970s. President unveils the marker

President Rodrigo Duterte, Executive Secretary , Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Public Works and Highways Secretary , Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Transportation Secretary , Socioeconomic Planning Secretary , Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Jim Sydiongco, Bohol Governor Edgardo Chatto, Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda, and JICA Chief Representative Yoshio Wada attended the inauguration ceremony.  Inside the new airport

In this issue…

Irrigation rehab project in Filipino scholars return to A look back to 2018: Year Visayas inaugurated share knowledge with PH in photos P A G E 2

Irrigation rehab project in Visayas inaugurated

A newly rehabilitated and improved national irrigation system, the Sta. Barbara River Irrigation System (RIS), in Visayas was inaugurated last December 2018 as part of the continuing assistance of JICA to the Philippine agriculture sector under the 6.187-billion yen National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (NISRIP).

The Sta. Barbara RIS subproject, which began in 2015 and was completed last July, aims to restore about 2,289 hectares of service area in the province to help raise productivity and income of 1,266 farmers in the area. The project included rehabilitating the diversion dam, irrigation canals, and other agriculture infrastructure facilities in the area. It is also one out of the eleven national irrigation systems to be rehabilitated under NISRIP.

The project has three components: rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, institutional strengthening of irrigation associations, and agricultural support. NISRIP is part of the National Irrigation Administration’s major thrust to fast track the restoration and rehabilitation of national irrigation systems to improve and sustain rice production and other staples in the country.  The Sta. Barbara River Irrigation System

Various stakeholders in the peace process joined the Bangsamoro Forum held at the JICA Philippine Office last December

JICA reaffirms its commitment to peace and development in Mindanao at Bangsamoro Forum

In light of the forthcoming plebiscite to ratify the “JICA’s commitment to the Bangsamoro peace Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), JICA reaffirmed its process remains strong. We believe that peace and commitment to lasting peace and development in development in Mindanao will result in wider peace Mindanao at the recent Bangsamoro Forum and development in the Philippines and southeast spearheaded by the Embassy of Japan (EOJ) and the Asia,” JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka said in a video United Nations (UN). message at the forum. “JICA will support peace implementing mechanisms including coordination About one hundred (100) stakeholders in the peace teams for the transition to Bangsamoro government.” process were present at the forum, including Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process The forum became a platform for Philippine (OPAPP), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), development partners to discuss aspects of the peace Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), ARMM process, including the plebiscite come January next Regional Government, and development partners year, transition to Bangsamoro government, such as UN agencies, European Union and various normalization process as well as develop common embassies Said forum followed the launch of the understanding over supporting the Philippines’ peace plebiscite campaign attended by 300,000 building efforts in Mindanao.  Bangsamoro people in Cotabato. P A G E 3

Philippine FDA personnel study Japan’s vaccine quality standards Philippine Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) personnel take cue from Japan's vaccine quality standards following a series of trainings under JICA in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO), and Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID).

Under the training, the FDA personnel joined participants from Vietnam “We understood the to observe manufacturing facilities for vaccines and testing systems in Japan. Filipino participant Geraldine Dimapilis from the FDA Field stringent regulations and Regulations Operations Office said the training in Tokyo showed the well-defined functions of importance of collaborating with academe when it comes to inspecting Japanese government on quality of vaccines, especially since the Philippines relies on vaccines. They also procurement when it comes to vaccines. implement quality control guidelines to ensure that Another participant from FDA Common Services Laboratory, Kharlo de vaccines are safe.” Guzman said, "We also learned about Japan's so-called relief system that provides benefits from health damage such as diseases and GERALDINE DIMAPILIS, disabilities from pharmaceuticals and adverse effects following Food and Drugs vaccinations." Regulation Officer Their training ‘Strengthening the National Regulatory Authorities for Vaccine's Quality and Safety' is part of JICA's Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) that aims to share Japan's experiences and knowhow on specific development areas with partner countries. 

News Photo (top left) shows from the Japanese volunteer helps Tiwi farmers find niche in high-value crops FIELD Farmers in an upland community in Tiwi, Albay are getting support from the project “Sustainable Upland Agribusiness Enterprise Development” of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) Shunsuke Imaizumi.

“With help from the "I held a market survey on needs and supply of vegetables in Legazpi, Japanese volunteer, our Tabasco, and Tiwi in Bicol. I found out that lettuce has very high demand farmers found their niche, in the local market but has very low supply. This is how I started the idea and got connected to of teaching the farmers on commercially producing different varieties of lettuce," said Imaizumi, who graduated with Master's degree in different markets.” agricultural sciences from Nagoya University and has worked in organic farming in Japan and in Germany. MICHAEL FRANCISCO, Agricultural Technologist, Imaizumi trained 30 farmer members of Sto. Cristo Upland Farmers T i w i M u n i c i p a l Association on agribusiness and organic farming techniques such as Agricultural Office mokusaku (using wood vinegar as alternative fertilizer) and vermicomposting (turning organic wastes into high quality compost using worms). Local production sales rose as much as P20,000 for the farmer's association during peak months.

Prior to the project, farming in upland communities in Tiwi faced many challenges, including limited capital to sustain production, access to information on appropriate farming techniques, trainings on agricultural entrepreneurship, and market access. 

Photo courtesy of Shunsuke Imaizumi Photo (bottom-right) P A G E 4

JICA project to strengthen industry- academe linkages in the Philippines

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Trade and Industry- Board of Investments (DTI-BOI) tie up to strengthen academe-industry linkage to help boost the Philippines' automotive industry.

To further boost the sector, a JICA-DTI-BOI project Elaboration of Industrial Promotion Plans using Value Chain Analysis supports policy making initiatives in the Philippines including academe-industry linkage.

Under the project, Japanese companies and other delegates convened recently in the country's first Philippine Auto Industry Academia Linkage Congress in that aims to discuss human resource opportunities in the country's automotive sector. Japanese companies namely Honda Cars Philippines, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation, Toyota Motor Philippines, and DENSO Philippines Corporation, to name a few, attended the activity. Some 800 students from the country's leading engineering universities like Mapua University, University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, among others also participated in the event. 

19 Filipino scholars return to share new knowledge with JDS fellows presented their research to officials from the National Economic and Development Authority, Civil Service Commission, Embassy of Japan, Philippines and JICA last November.

Nineteen Filipino scholars who received the Japanese While, Laurice Cyl C. Pondoyo will return to National Grant for Human Resource Development Scholarship Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Regional (JDS) have returned to the Philippines to share their Office XI to share her study on how the Philippines can research and implement projects to boost Philippine tap relations with advanced countries active in development. research and development to attract capital inflows and investments in the Philippines. Pondoyo finished her The Filipino scholars came from various government master's in Kobe University under the JICA agencies and completed their graduate studies in scholarship. some of Japan's leading universities, namely Nagoya University, International Christian University, Another scholar, meanwhile, Charito A. Sabida will International University of Japan, Hiroshima University, share her study with the Technical Education and Skills Kobe University, Meiji University, and Japan's National Development Authority (TESDA) on how to increase Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS). The labor force participation of technical vocational JDS Program is a platform for Japan to share their education and training (TVET) graduates in the experience in development and prepare young leaders Philippines. Sabida finished her graduate program in on emerging development issues. Kobe University.

"Through the scholarship, we became better equipped JICA scholar Rosalita M. Barde from Nagoya with new skills and expertise to improve public service University will, on the other hand, share her research in the Philippines," said Raul Vibal Jr. who works at the with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Senate of the Philippines' Management Planning and (MMDA) on future conceptualization of flood risk Operations Audit Service and is a graduate of the management in the country's river basins and the International Development course from the reduction of flood risks in . International University of Japan. "I look forward to sharing the knowledge I gained from Another scholar Polaris C. Bautista who graduated the scholarship in the ongoing normalization process from same Japanese university will share his research under the peace agreement in the Bangsamoro. I hope on statistics indicators on food security in the 2019 to eventually contribute to policy making in the future National Convention on Statistics to help raise Bangsamoro government," said Asan Al-Ameen S. awareness and appreciation on monitoring on food Camlian who finished his master's in public policy4 in security data. GRIPS.  P A G E 5

MRT eyes improvement with JICA assistance

Feature MRT (photo from DOTr-MRT3) Winning artwork of University of the Philippines Open University student Kristelle Joyce Adami, an entry in the JICA digital art The Philippines' Metro Rail competition “Sustainable Development Goals: Building an Inclusive Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) is Future.” receiving much needed boost with a 38 billion yen The contest was supported by partner institutions and media Official Development organizations namely Embassy of Japan in Manila, Japan Foundation, Assistance (ODA) from Philippine Television Network, CNN Philippines, ABS-CBN, and JICA. Rappler.  Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and JICA Submersible fish cage Senior Vice President Yasushi Tanaka signed the technology from Japanese SME development cooperation project in November in a attracts investments in Typhoon move to raise the safety Yolanda areas standards and increase the capacity of the existing MRT 3. The Department of The submersible fish cage technology of Japanese firm Nitto Seimo Transportation (DOTr) will has attracted investments in Typhoon Yolanda-hit Samar and Leyte. The technology is part of the JICA scheme called Partnership with the implement the project. Japanese Private Sector that began in 2012 where Japanese companies share technology to address development issues. The project, that will begin on 2018 until 2022, The fish cages help promote sustainable farming in Typhoon Yolanda includes rehabilitation and areas like Basey, Guiuan, and Tacloban, ensuring 76% survival rate of maintenance of the train's fish stocks even during typhoons. When Typhoons Ruby and Urduja electromechanical system, hit the region in 2014 and 2017 respectively, no damage was reported power supply, rail tracks, on said fish cages, whereas traditional fish cage operators suffered depot equipment, and substantial losses in their grouper and milkfish stocks. overhaul of the rolling stocks.  Several private investors have already rented the fish cages that allow them to give jobs to displaced fisherfolks in Samar and Leyte. They have hired community members as caretakers, harvesters, cage cleaners, net installers, and transporters of harvested milkfish. Nitto Seimo has also trained 178 fishermen and local government units (LGUs) on using the fish cages. The project is estimated to have created over 700 jobs. A fish cage can generate 7-9 metric tons for every harvest. From harvesting, the fish are brought to a port where Be part of JICA conversations! vendors can buy them in bulk.  Like our Facebook page: facebook.com/jicaphilippines P A G E 6

A LOOK BACK TO 2018: JICA IN PHOTOS

JANUARY JICA with the Department of Transportation and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines inaugurated the new Communications, Navigation, FEBRUARY Surveillance / Air Traffic Management Japanese SMEs held first pitch event in Systems to support aviation sector Manila to share Japanese innovations for inclusive development

MARCH Cooperation to establish Philippine Railway Institute signed APRIL JICA-assisted Plaridel Bypass Road in Bulacan opens to boost north-south connectivity MAY Two-billion yen Japan Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Marawi rehabilitation signed JUNE Grant aid for Flood Control Project in de Oro River Basin and for Human Resource Development Scholarship signed JULY Groundbreaking of JICA-assisted Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Cavite City to support Department of Health’s drug rehabilitation initiatives AUGUST Last two of ten multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) from Japan turned over to Philippine Coast Guard SEPTEMBER Rehabilitated Mal River Irrigation System in Mindanao inaugurated to support Filipino farmers OCTOBER JICA announces winners of digital art contest on Sustainable Development Goals: Building an Inclusive Future NOVEMBER Philippines opens JICA-assisted new Bohol Panglao International Airport, the first in the country to follow eco-airport DECEMBER concept Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, JICA, and United Nations held Bangsamoro Forum as support to Mindanao’s peace building process and transition to a Bangsamoro government

About JICA JICA Philippines Office The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is the executing agency of 40F Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue, City Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA), which handles technical Telephone: +632 889-7119 cooperation, ODA loans and investment, and grant aid, as well as cooperation Facsimile: +632 889-6850 volunteers and disaster relief programs. JICA is the world’s largest bilateral aid Website: https://www.jica.go.jp/philippine/english/ agency with its volume of cooperation amounting to about USD 19.57 billion for JFY Editorial Team: Jennifer Erice. Lara Javier, 2017 and a worldwide network of about 100 overseas offices including the Maffy Carandang, Philippines. Amanda Bacani