HON. NESTOR FONGWAN
Governor, Province of Benguet
HON. RUBEN PAOAD
Mayor, Municipality of Tublay
MS. MARIKO SORIMACHI
Executive Director, Cordillera Green Network, Inc (CGN)
Our Farmer-Partners,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Naimbag nga aldaw! (Good day to all of you!)
First of all, on behalf of the Government and People of Japan, I would like to express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the families who were affected by Typhoon Juan in the Northern Luzon last year. I heard that this region was also hit by the strong typhoon last November 2009. I understand that the hardship of people in this area has been so serious since farms were damaged repeatedly.
Today, I am deeply honored to join this turnover ceremony. As you know, this Benguet Province and Japan have created and strengthened the strong relationship, historically. Japanese workers devoted themselves to constructing the Kennon Road, which is one of the major access roads leading up to Baguio City, in the early twentieth century. Last year witnessed the 35th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Japan's Kochi prefecture and Benguet Province . Considering the special ties I mentioned, it is truly meaningful for us to have an opportunity to support people in this region who have had a hard time in rebuilding their lives.
As for the content of Japanese assistance, I am pleased to inform you that relief items such as seeds of vegetable, rice, and corn, along with fertilizers, plastic sheets and black nets have already been distributed to 1,574 farmers in the Provinces of Benguet, Kalinga, Isabela and Cagayan. I strongly hope that this humanitarian aid will provide a vital leverage to promote sustainable agricultural production in the affected communities so that the farmers can rebuild what they have lost.
I would like to commend all the people who have made great efforts for the success of this project, in particular the Cordillera Green Network where executive director of the Cordillera Green Network is a Japanese woman, Ms. Mariko Sorimachi. I strongly believe that the grass-roots efforts like Ms. Sorimachi's activities will contribute to deepening the mutual understanding of Japanese and Filipino people.
In closing, I hope this project will further promote our friendship to foster a strategic partnership between the two countries towards the future.
Thank you very much and Mabuhay!
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines