Japanese Ambassador Toshinao Urabe and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. Del Rosario exchanged notes for the “Non-project Grant Aid for the Restoration and Disaster Prevention” amounting to 600 million yen (approximately 315 million pesos) on April 27, 2012.
This project is for the recovery of devastated areas after several typhoons hit the Philippines in the last quarter of 2011 and damaged basic infrastructures such as roads, houses, public facilities and farmland, as well as for the establishment of disaster-prevention schemes in the country.
Japan has supported the Philippines' efforts for the recovery from the recent natural disasters by providing 25 million yen worth of emergency relief goods and 2 million US dollars to the Philippines in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Sendong. Regrettably, the recovery is still not enough as there is a need to restore the foundations of the affected people's lives from a long-term standpoint. In addition, there is a need to establish solid disaster-prevention schemes to prevent and mitigate the damage from natural disasters in the future.
Through this project, Japan will provide funds to the Government of the Philippines for the purchase of necessary products for the recovery and disaster-prevention policies that the latter implements. The details of the products to be purchased will be decided based on the consultation between the Governments of Japan and of the Philippines. Probable products to be purchased are, for instance, products for the stabilization of the affected people's lives such as feeding stuff for animals and shelter units for the affected people, and equipments relating to disaster prevention such as an aerial camera system for gathering disaster information, dredgers for riverbank reinforcement and disaster information sharing system.
This project is in line with the financial assistance up to 2012 that the Government of Japan announced in December 2009, aiming to accelerate the measures implemented by developing countries to combat climate change. Based on the outcome of COP 17, Japan will cooperate with the Philippines in the issue of climate change for the pursuance of a fair and effective international framework with the participation of all major emitters.
Japanese Version
