Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura (third from right) formally turned over the fertilizers from Japan to Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas (third from left). Looking on (from right) were Mitsubishi Corporation Philippines General Manager Nobuya Ichiki, JICA Senior Representative Kenzo Iwakami and Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Salvador Salacup. |
The Government of Japan officially turned over 26,135 metric tons of fertilizers worth ¥480 million or approximately P253 million to the Government of the Philippines under the 31st Japan Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers Program (formerly known as 2KR or Japan's Increased Food Production Program).
At the Iloilo port on November 4, 2009, Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura formally turned over the fertilizer grant to Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Salvador Salacup. In his speech, Ambassador Katsura remarked that the ceremony demonstrated Japan's unwavering efforts to support the Philippine Government's food security program and that the Program served as a continuing testimony of the cordial friendship and cooperation shared between the Philippines and Japan as it helped alleviate the plight of low-income farmers.
The fertilizer grant will be distributed in selected 14 provinces to those farmer-beneficiaries who could hardly meet their families' basic needs and whose landholdings are two hectares and below. The farm inputs arrived in four separate shipments in the ports of Davao, Iloilo and Subic.
The first shipment of 6,635 metric tons of fertilizers arrived in Davao on September 9, 2009. This initial batch of fertilizers was offered for bidding and distribution to selected marginalized farmers in Mindanao, particularly the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte and South Cotabato.
The turnover ceremony at the Iloilo port on November 4th is for the second batch of 6,000 metric tons which arrived in Iloilo City on October 2, 2009 and unloaded on October 16, 2009. These will be apportioned to underprivileged farmer-beneficiaries in Iloilo and Negros Occidental provinces.
The third shipment of 6,000 metric tons is expected to arrive at the Subic port in Zambales during the third week of November. These will be distributed to typhoon affected provinces in Northern Luzon namely, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Isabela and Cagayan Valley.
The fourth and final shipment of 7,500 metric tons is expected to arrive in the port of Subic, Zambales within the first and second week of December. These will be allocated to low-income farmers in provinces affected by typhoons such as Tarlac, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija.
The proceeds from these farm inputs are estimated at 161.77 million pesos. The Government of the Philippines, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, will monitor the distribution of the commodities and ensure that these agricultural inputs will reach the target farmer-beneficiaries in these selected provinces.
The Exchange of Notes for this Grant-Aid was signed between Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo last March 30, 2009.
For the past thirty years, the Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers Program (formerly known as the 2KR Program) has made a positive impact on the livelihood of Filipino farmers and this recent tranche reaffirms Japan's commitment to support the efforts of the Government of the Philippines to alleviate poverty and achieve food self-sufficiency.
Speech of Ambassador Makoto Katsura
Japanese Version
