Embassy of Japan's Deputy Chief of Mission, Motohiko Kato will attend the turnover ceremony of the housing project for the victims of Tropical Storm Ondoy on May 26, 2010 at the Bilibiran Elementary School Quadrangle in Binangonan, Rizal. Also expected to be at the ceremony are Binangonan Mayor Cecilio Ynarez, Japan Asian Association and Asian Friendship Society (JAFS) Founder and Executive Director Reverend Dr. Kimihiko Murakami, Asian Social Institute (ASI) President Dr. Mina M. Ramirez, ASI Vice President for Social Development Dr. Gina A. Yap, and the Vice President of Trinity University Asia (TUA) Dr. Epitacio S. Palispis.
The housing project was implemented by a Japanese NGO, the Japan Asian Friendship Society (JAFS), and funded by the Government of Japan thr ough the Japan Platform (JPF). Through this project, 379 houses in 15 barangays of Angono, Binangonan, and Cardona in Rizal Province have been constructed.
The JPF is a humanitarian aid organization comprised of Japanese NGOs as well as commercial and government institutions that provide assistance in times of emergencies outside of Japan. The JPF has decided to engage in the assistance for victims affected by Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng last year. In total, the JPF provided approximately 11 million yen (5.5 million pesos) from Japanese commercial and government institutions to cover fourteen (14) typhoon-related projects implemented by seven (7) NGOs.
This housing project is one of the reconstruction assistance projects that the Government of Japan has extended to t he Philippines in relation to the typhoon-related calamity. Last April, Japan and the Philippines signed and exchanged notes for an ODA loan project titled the Post Ondoy and Pepeng Short-Term Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project that finances the rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by Ondoy and Pepeng. Its fiscal amount is approximately 9.9 billion yen (approximately 5 billion pesos) in the most concessional terms, i.e. an interest rate of 0.01% per annum and 40-years repayment period with a 10-year grace period. This project will carry out repairs and reinforcement of damaged overpass bridges as well as flood control facilities that were destroyed or eroded, particularly in Luzon, Mindoro, Palawan Islands that were severely affected by Ondoy and Pepeng.
