Japanese Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Motohiko Kato visited Santa Barbara National High School in Iloilo City, one of the recipient schools of the Japan-funded project to distribute personal computers for public high schools nationwide, on April 27, 2010. The project (PCs for Public Schools Project) was funded by Japan through the Counter-value Fund, which the Philippine Government accumulated by selling the commodities procured under Japan's Non-Project Grant Aid for the Philippines.
At the school, Minister Kato was warmly welcomed by Department of Trade and Industry – Region VI Regional Director Dominic Abad, representatives of Department of Education, and the students of the school. In a classroom, Minister Kato enthusiastically observed how students were utilizing the personal computers to acquire IT skills.
Minister Kato told the students, “Japan has been giving strong support to IT education in the Philippines as we recognize its major role in global economy. I hope you will be inspired and challenged to continuously improve the quality of your education and maximize the use of your PCs to hone your IT skills. I hope you will bear in mind the great potentials offered by IT to you as an individual and to your country as well.”
Japan has been financing the “PCs for Public Schools Project” through the Counter-value Fund under Japan's Non-Project Grant Aid. The project has had four (4) phases (Note: the Mindanao component only is being implemented under the 4 th phase.). The total amount of Japan's contribution to the “PCs for Public Schools Project” is approximately 1.8 billion pesos.
The Counter-value Fund has enabled the Philippine Government to implement various projects for its socio-economic development. Notably, in addition to the project to distribute personal computers for public high schools nationwide, the Counter-value Fund projects include the project to construct the Philippine Judicial Academy Convention Center of the Supreme Court in Tagaytay.
Japan has been the top ODA donor to the Philippines for many years. The assistance through Japan's Non-Project Grant Aid and its Counter-value Fund projects will firmly continue to support the Philippine Government to reduce poverty and improve its economic structure, and will further enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Speech of Minister Motohiko Kato
