Honorable Governor Gerardo Espina, Jr.
Province of Biliran
Honorable Mayor Eulalio Maderazo
Municipality of Caibiran
Honorable Barangay Chairman Leo Insigne
Barangay Victory
Local Government Officials,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good Afternoon to you all!
Let me first 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 inauguration ceremony.
This is my first time to visit Biliran Province. I am delighted to see the rich natural resources and the scenic view of your province.
On the other hand, it is heartbreaking that this beautiful province is often hit by typhoons and the residents have hard time for that. I sympathize with the residents who are forced to walk in the flood water during the typhoon season, with the students who have difficulty in going to schools and with the people whose livelihood activities are disrupted.
Now with the newly completed 150-meter flood control project which stands before us, I hope that the difficult circumstances that the residents have long endured will be e ased . I am pleased that the Government and the people of Japan have an honorable opportunity to support the flood mitigation efforts in this province . I hope that this assistance w ill also pave the way for more stable economic activities of the people in Barangay Victory.
As you may know, for the past 30 years, the Japanese Government, as the top donor of the ODA to the Philippines, has been supporting most of the flood control projects in the Philippines as part of our commitment to help Filipinos achieve a better quality of life and economic development. Japan has also been hit by strong typhoons and has experienced severe damages brought by them. Therefore, we feel that it is an important role for Japan to support people who are also suffering from the similar disasters.
In closing, allow me to thank all of you especially the staff and officials of the Provincial Government of Biliran who painstakingly worked for the successful completion of this project. I believe that this project will further strengthen the friendship between the people of the Philippines and Japan and will also add to the fostering of strategic partnership between our two countries towards the future.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines