Ceremonial Hand-over of 560 metric tons of Rice Donation from Japan to Typhoon Victims in Ilocos Norte and Pangasinan

On October 5, 2019 in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, Economic Minister Masahiro Nakata of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines attended a ceremonial turn-over and actual distribution of 560 metric tons of rice donation from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan under the framework of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR). Also present were National Food Authority Administrator Judy Carol L. Dansal, Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Danilo G. Pamonag, Province of Ilocos Norte Committee on Agriculture Chairman Domingo Ambrocio, Jr., Bacarra Mayor Fritzie Ann Kaye Dela Cruz Gapasin, and APTERR Secretariat General Manager Chanpithya Shimphalee. About 400 victims from Ilocos Norte affected by Typhoon Ineng (international name Bailu) and those from Pangasinan affected by Typhoon Jenny (international name Podul) received the rice donation at this event.
 
APTERR is a regional cooperation among ASEAN+3 countries, which aims to strengthen food security, alleviate poverty, and eradicate malnourishment. This initiative started in 2002 during the ASEAN+3 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF+3).  In 2018, Japan provided 225 metric tons of rice under the APTERR to displaced people from Marawi City.