J U L Y T O S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8

News Philippines

FR

OM

DOH, JICA break ground for treatment

& rehab center in Cavite IN THIS ISSUE

Farmers graduate

from JICA-PHILRICE

training program

– P. 2

Handover of vessels

to Philippine Coast

Guard

– P. 3

Launching of

agribusiness lending

facility for Mindanao

– P. 4

The Department of Health (DOH), the Japan International Cooperation Agency

(JICA) and the Provincial Government of Cavite held a groundbreaking ceremony

for a drug treatment and rehabilitation center (TRC) in Trece Martires City, Cavite as

part of the 1.85 billion yen DOH-JICA program grant called Consolidated

Rehabilitation of Illegal Drug Users (CARE).

The bilateral project aims to improve DOH’s operational and service standards for

recovering drug dependents and develop information materials on preventive

education and awareness against illegal drugs. “Through this TRC, we’d like to

support DOH’s efforts in rehabilitating drug dependents and integrating them back to

society,” said JICA Chief Representative Yoshio Wada.

The TRC will be constructed in a 5-hectare land donated by the Provincial

Government of Cavite and is proposed to have a 500-bed capacity.

To complement CARE, JICA is also implementing a technical cooperation with DOH

called Introducing Evidence-based Relapse Prevention Program to Drug

Dependence Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers (IntERlaPP). The cooperation

aims to establish an evidence-based relapse prevention model to strengthen the

capacity of Filipino health providers on drug dependence treatment. ●

P A G E 2

“The agriculture

sector is just one

of many

promising sectors

in Mindanao. We’d

like to continue

helping the

farmers and

communities in

Mindanao secure

food for their

families and

create livelihoods

in their

community.”

Y O E B I S A W A ,

JICA SENIOR

REPRESENTATIVE

More than 100 farmer combatants in

Bangsamoro graduate from JICA-

PHILRICE agri training program This August, 133 farmer combatants graduated from a training program under

the upland rice-based farming technology transfer program held in Mindanao’s

conflict-affected areas.

The program, which is a public service delivery component under JICA’s

Comprehensive Capacity Development Project for the Bangsamoro, aims to

support the socio-economic development of the people by improving the

effectiveness and quality of service delivery in the conflict-affected areas in

Mindanao.

Under the training program, farmers, ulamas and other religious leaders,

agriculture technologists, municipal agriculture officers, as well as technical

staff of Bangsamoro Development Agency and Bangsamoro Leadership and

Management Institute, are trained on upland farming practices that also

integrate concepts of leadership, values and religion or spirituality with

agriculture.

A Palayamanan model farm was established in 12 sites located in

Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur. The sites serve as learning areas where

trainees learn about upland rice and vegetable production and livestock

development. The term Palayamanan was coined from Filipino words ‘palayan’

(rice fields) and ‘kayamanan’ (wealth) describing the concept of wealth

creation using the fields for rice and other crops through diversified farming. ●

JICA, Quezon City make efforts to

reduce air pollution by piloting 20 e-

trikes from Japanese SME The Quezon City local government is piloting the use of 20 electric tricycles

from Japanese company BEMAC-Uzushio Electric Co. in a move to reduce air

pollution and provide alternate means of commuting among its residents.

The tricycles were introduced under the Partnership with the Private Sector

Scheme of JICA that encourages Japanese private sector to participate in win-

win partnerships with developing countries.

Under the project, BEMAC will study the feasibility of an electric tricycle

business model in the Philippines. BEMAC’s electric tricycles are powered by

a lithium-ion battery and equipped with state-of-the-art Japanese technology. ●

P A G E 3

Handover of last two multi-role

response vessels to PCG JICA vowed continuing support to Philippine maritime safety and

security during the commissioning ceremony of the last two of the ten

44-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRV) under the JICA-

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) cooperation Maritime Safety and

Capability Project (MSCIP).

In addition to the project, amounting to 18.732 billion yen Official

Development Assistance (ODA), JICA also provided capacity building

of PCG personnel on search and rescue operations and maritime law

enforcement. JICA is continuing its support to the PCG with the

construction and delivery of two more 90-meter MRRVs in the next

few years. ●

Photo shows MRRV-4411 or Cape Engaño at the commissioning ceremony held last

August in the Headquarters of PCG Manila.

JICA announces winners of poster design

competition for N. Luzon high school students

(center); and Enrico G. Casuga (third place), Grade

10 student also from Rosario Integrated School for

his artwork “My Child. My Dreams” highlighting how

JICA’s projects are focusing on helping people

ensure a bright future for children (below, right).

The final winners were selected by JICA Chief

Representative Yoshio Wada and a team of

Japanese and Filipino development specialists.

Entries were judged based on their relationship to the

theme, creativity, originality, and relevance to JICA’s

work in the Philippines.

JICA also awarded a special prize for Labrador

National High School in Pangasinan for submitting

the most number of entries to the competition. ●

Out of a whopping 416 entries, ten poster designs

were chosen as winners in the JICA poster making

competition for Grades 7-12 students in Northern

Luzon. The competition was part of JICA’s

commemoration of Japan-Philippine Friendship

Month celebrated in July.

The top poster design winners were: Krissia Pauline

C. Castillo (first place), Grade 10 student from

Baguio City National High School for her artwork

“United” depicting JICA projects Patapat Viaduct,

Maternal and Child Health Services in the Cordillera,

Benguet General Hospital, and Safe Vegetable

Farming (below, left); Rosario D. Mabalot (second

place), Grade 12 student from Rosario Integrated

School in La Union for her artwork “Love Over War”

illustrating unity between Philippines and Japan

P A G E 4

LANDBANK, JICA launch agribusiness

lending facility for Mindanao

enterprises, cooperatives, and participating financial

institutions in the Autonomous Region in Muslim

Mindanao (ARMM) and other conflict-affected

neighboring areas.

The five-year relending facility will give private

enterprises access to a credit line with LANDBANK

for their capital investments, operations, expansion

initiatives and agriculture-related projects that

support agri-related economic activities in the region.

Under the program, JICA will also provide human

resource training and technical assistance to

LANDBANK, agriculture cooperatives, and other

participating institutions. ●

Last August, LANDBANK President and CEO Alex

Buenaventura, Office of the Presidential Adviser on

the Peace Process (OPAPP) Cotabato Director

Wendell Orbeso, Embassy of Japan First Secretary

Tetsuharu Mori, and JICA Philippines Senior

Representative Yo Ebisawa led the formal launching

of the agribusiness lending facility called HARVEST.

HARVEST stands for Harnessing Agribusiness

opportunities through Robust and Vibrant

Entrepreneurship Supportive of peaceful

Transformation. It is a ‎¥4.928 billion (Php 2.12 billion)

official development assistance from JICA that seeks

to provide concessional loans to small and medium

enterprises, corporatives (plantation farm

management services), large agribusiness

JICA to help Philippines ease

traffic congestion in Metro Manila

This September, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and

JICA signed the Records of Discussion for the Project for Comprehensive

Traffic Management Plan for Metro Manila, which aims to mitigate road traffic

congestion on major corridors in Metro Manila.

Under the project, JICA and MMDA will work together to identify and analyze

traffic bottlenecks and develop a 5-year action plan that contains sustainable

solutions on traffic management and capacity enhancement.

The cooperation will begin from 2019 until 2022 and will include dispatch of

Japanese experts on road traffic management, traffic policy, and intelligent

transport system, as well as partnerships with the road sector of all of the 17

local government units in Metro Manila. ●

P5.4 billion

a day – the projected

economic cost of

transportation in

Metro Manila by

2035 if no

interventions are

made

The figure refers to vehicle

operating cost and time cost

spent by drivers and

passengers along the road

network in Metro Manila, as

assessed under‎JICA’s‎

Follow Up Survey on the

Roadmap for Transport

Infrastructure Development

for Greater Capital Region

(2017).

Photo shows MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim and JICA Philippines Chief Representative Yoshio Wada (foreground) during the signing of the Records of Discussion.

P A G E 5

EXPERIENCE JAPAN Apply for JICA’s Knowledge Co-Creation Program (Young Leaders)!

About JICA

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is the executing agency of

Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA), which handles technical

cooperation, ODA loans and investment, and grant aid, as well as cooperation

volunteers and disaster relief programs. JICA is the world’s largest bilateral aid

agency with its volume of cooperation amounting to about USD 19.57 billion for JFY

2017 and a world-wide network of about 100 overseas offices including the

Philippines.

JICA Philippines Office

Community Development through Collaboration

among Local Government, NGOs, and Community-

Based Organizations

8-24 January 2019 | Chubu

Deadline of Application: October 31, 2018

Agri-Business / Agri-Tourism

7-23 February 2019 | Okinawa

Deadline of Application: October 31, 2018

Small and Medium Enterprises Development and

Promotion Course

27 January - 9 February 2019 | Chugoku

Deadline of Application: November 5, 2018

Having committed to use the learnings in the KCCP

Young Leaders course as a reference in the

performance of my responsibilities at work, the

knowledge I gained in the course is very useful.

Overall, I would say that I became more confident in

the performance of my responsibilities after my

training in Japan.

K A R E E N S U A R E Z ,

Former KCCP participant

National Economic and Development Authority

For application details, please visit https://www.jica.go.jp/philippine/english/activities/activity02_03_02.html

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Editorial Team: Jennifer Erice. Lara Javier,

Maffy Carandang,

Amanda Bacani