Japan provides $2.12-M aid for Bangsamoro solar power

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in a discussion with Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, Koji Haneda,  who paid a courtesy call on the President at the Malacañan Palace on January 21, 2019. RENE LUMAWAG/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – The Japanese government is providing at least USD2.12 million for the provision of solar power generation systems in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The “Project for the Capacity Building of Bangsamoro Transition Authority for Strengthening Health Care Services in Remote Islands”, an initiative focused on Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, will be implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and is seen to help health facilities in the provinces reduce daytime electricity costs as well as running costs incurred in the use of diesel-fueled generators.

Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda and IOM Chief of Mission Kristin Marie Dadey signed on Monday the exchange of notes at the Japan Embassy in Manila.

Dadey thanked Tokyo for the assistance, saying the project would contribute to promoting peace and prosperity in the region as she cited the “hundreds of thousands of Moros” who have been migrating for decades to escape conflict and poverty.

“This action provides critical material support to Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, and sends a strong message of solidarity with those vulnerable communities, who often feel marginalized or forgotten, and decide to resort to extreme actions or undertake the risks of unsafe migration out of despair,” she said in her speech.

Haneda, for his part, is hopeful the project would spur productivity, social cohesion, and access to health among the residents of the three provinces.

“For all the time Japan successfully carried out our official development assistance, we recognize that there’s only so much we can do on our own. Hence, we seek close coordination with partner countries and organizations that have first-hand knowledge and expertise on the ground,” he said, referring to the IOM and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Aside from the IOM-Japan partnership, Haneda and the UNFPA on Monday also signed the exchange of notes for a USD1.35-million project that will support transition and peacebuilding efforts in BARMM.

“The Bangsamoro region may have a long way to go, but the Government of Japan– by itself and through such committed partnerships– will be with the region throughout the process,” the envoy said.