Honorable Undersecretary Bernie G. Fondevilla
Department of Agriculture
Executive Assistant Libertad Rivera
Regional Field Unit III, Department of Agriculture
Chairman Jesus M. Simon
Regional Agricultural & Fishery Council, Region III
Vice President Daniel G. Oňate
Agrotech Agricultural Inc.
Chief of Staff Mr. Natoridad
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
Distinguished Guests, our Farmer-beneficiaries,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good morning to you all!
It is a great pleasure for me to participate in a turnover ceremony of the shipments of fertilizers under the “Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers” Program for typhoon-affected areas in Northern and Central Luzon, after having participated in a similar turnover ceremony for the shipments of fertilizers held in Iloilo last month.
These fertilizers comprise part of the 480 million Japanese Yen we extended to the Philippines under the Grant Aid's 31st tranche.
Japan has provided the Philippines with farm inputs worth billions of Pesos for this program for more than thirty years. In addition , the counter-value fund generated under this program has benefited various agricultural and fishery development projects such as post harvest facilities, construction and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, farm to market roads, capacity building programs for farmers, to name a few.
We were saddened by the calamities and damages caused by the recent typhoons to various farming communities in Northern and Central Luzon. We sympathize with the victims as well as those whose sources of livelihood were severely affected. Thus, the third and fourth shipments of fertilizers were re-directed at this port so that they could be strategically distributed to typhoon-affected provinces, namely Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Isabela and Cagayan Valley in Northern Luzon, and Tarlac, Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon. I believe that our combined efforts will give these farmers renewed hopes and determination to overcome their on-going difficulties.
I express my gratitude to the Department of Agriculture, particularly the National Agricultural and Fishery Council and other agencies concerned for their unwavering commitment and efforts to make this program a continuing success. I commend you for your proactive response to the immediate needs of the underprivileged people in the agricultural sector as well.
In closing, I hope this program will continue to empower and uplift the communities in the rural sector. Let us combine all our efforts to make this program a continuing symbol of the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership for the future between our two countries.
Thank you very much for your attention, and Mabuhay.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines