Honorable Vice-Mayor James Gamao
Panabo City
Local Government Officials,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Magandang araw sa inyong lahat! (Good day to everyone!)
First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome you have extended to me and my colleagues.
It is a great pleasure for me to join you in this turnover ceremony. I am pleased to see the three garbage compactors that arrived in Panabo City from Japan. Let me congratulate the local government officials of Panabo City who made all the efforts to ensure the safe arrival of the garbage compactors.
Before, with only two garbage trucks at its disposal, the City Government could not completely collect the 67 tons of garbage that were generated every day. I hear that people had to bear the bad odor from the accumulated garbage and the health concern surfaced.
Now, with the three garbage compactors, I believe that the garbage collection of the city will become more efficient and regular. The proper waste management will provide better sanitation and improved environment for its residents. I am therefore glad that the Government and people of Japan had an opportunity to support your efforts through Japan's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects or GGP.
I would also like to mention that the garbage compactors were donated by the City of Osaka, which is the largest city in western Japan, and shipped to the Philippines. The operation was smoothly conducted thanks to the coordination of the Society for Promotion of Japanese Diplomacy or SPJD, which is a Japanese association that renders international cooperation and advocates global issues. I sincerely admire the efforts they made for this project.
The Embassy of Japan, on the other hand, funded the reconditioning of the vehicles including the conversion from right-hand to left-hand drive as well as the hauling cost for transferring the vehicles from Japan to Panabo City.
I believe that, with this assistance, the City Government of Panabo can now address the environmental concern of its residents. I count on your collective and steadfast support to maximize the utilization and maintenance of the three garbage compactors.
In closing, allow me to thank all of you who painstakingly worked for the successful completion of this project. I hope that this project will further strengthen the strategic partnership and foster stronger friendship between the Philippines and Japan.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines