Major General Datuk Baharom Bin Hamzah
Head of Mission
International Monitoring Team (IMT)
BRIGADIER GENERAL REY ARDO, AFP
Chairman, Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities
Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH)
MR. SAID SHEIKH
Chairman, Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
USTADZ MOHAMMAH SHUAIB YACOB
Executive Director, Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA)
MS. JULIE MALIGA
President, Ittihadun-Nisa' Foundation, Inc. (INFO)
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to join you today in this turnover ceremony. First of all, let me extend my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome you have extended to me and to my colleagues.
In 2006, the Government of Japan launched the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development or the J-BIRD to show our commitment to supporting peace and development efforts in Mindanao in concrete terms. As the first batch of our assistance to Ittihadun-Nisa' Foundation, we supported the construction of Skills Training Center for Bangsamoro women in 2006. For the past years, the Center has conducted various livelihood trainings to the Bangsamoro women and children who had to lead difficult lives due to the armed conflicts. I am truly pleased to mention that many of them have succeeded in acquiring job skills and gaining their own livelihoods.
Now the great efforts of Ittihadun-Nisa' Foundation have come to a new stage. Through our new project, another building complete with dormitories and working areas has been constructed, and new training equipments have also been installed. The additional facility aims to accommodate more Bangsamoro women and children and to support them in gaining necessary technical skills. I really hope that this new facility will contribute to the improvement of their livelihoods and uplift the socio-economic situation in this area. I believe the accumulation of these kinds of small steps can lead to the realization of peace, stability and development in Mindanao.
I would also like to commend the members of Ittihadun-Nisa' Foundation for the successful completion of this project. Your sincere concern for the Bangsamoro women and children as well as your dedicated efforts has significantly contributed to the enhancement of the quality of their lives, which also leads to the meaningful implementation of this project. This building and the training services to be provided here will remind us all of the collective efforts of the Japanese and Filipino people to improve the living conditions of the Bangsamoro women and children.
In closing, you can rest assured that Japan will continue to be a staunch supporter for the stability and development of Mindanao through the J-BIRD and whatever assistance it can extend.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines