Honorable Bai Soraida Biruar
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Honorable Country Director and Representative Stephen Anderson
United Nation's World Food Programme
Chief Representative Norio Matsuda
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippines
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalam Alay Kum ( Peace be with you all )
Good morning.
It is my great honor and pleasure to be with you all in today's turnover ceremony on the Food Aid Programme for the Conflict-Affected Population in Mindanao, just to signify Japan's unwavering support to internally displaced persons or IDPs and to the peace-building process in Mindanao.
Three years ago, Japan, through the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) provided a food aid package amounting to 2.8 Million US Dollars for IDPs in conflict affected areas in Mindanao. I am confident that today's assistance of 8,160 metric tons of rice, which is substantially larger in scale, will benefit a greater number of the conflict affected communities. I believe this additional support will provide a crucial leverage for improving the plight of IDPs.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the WFP for its steadfast efforts to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting IDPs in Mindanao through its emergency food aid. I hope for the safety of the WFP officers and staff who are constantly at the forefront of its undertakings in various critical areas.
Allow me to briefly mention that, as a partner and a neighbor of the Philippines, Japan has implement ed a wide range of support projects for more than a decade for peace and development in Mindanao through such initiatives as the “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”, and “the ARMM Social Fund for Peace and Development Project”, among others.
Since 2006, Japan has been conducting“ the Study for Socio-Economic Reconstruction and Development of the Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao” with the view to promoting the consolidation of peace in Mindanao.
Let me cite some examples of GGP projects. Japan supported the provision of sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, water containers, and plastic sheets for tents to the IDPs through a GGP project in December 2008. Yesterday, I also attended a ceremony for the turnover of a Japan-funded five-classroom building project in the municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat.
During the past months, I heard that some evacuees had no place to go back because their houses were destroyed by intermittent conflicts. It is sad to note that the residents in the Conflict-Affected Areas, who had started to live in peace after prolonged hostilities, find themselves in the same plight. Japan will continue to assist them so that they may regain their normal peaceful lives.
In accordance with the Joint Statement issued last June 2009 between Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Government of Japan will continue to support the efforts to end the longstanding conflict in Mindanao through the peace process. In this connection, we welcome the Philippine Government's Suspension of Military Offensives and the MILF's Suspension of Military Actions, which were announced last month. We hope for an early resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF. I sincerely hope that this program will serve as a reaffirmation of Japan's efforts to those endeavors.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines