MANILA — The Japanese government signed this week three new grant contracts focused on enhancing and building medical and educational infrastructures.
The new approved contracts of the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) will provide a total of nine units of classrooms to Leuteboro National High School in Socorro, Oriental Mindoro; two operating room lights and two delivery beds for Bontoc General Hospital, Mountain Province; and a potable water system at Brgy. Banawel, Natonin, Mountain Province.
Total grant amount for the three contracts is USD304,308 or approximately PHP15 million.
The contracts were signed by Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda with the representatives of recipient local government units from Socorro, Oriental Mindoro, and Mountain Province.
The ceremony was attended by Director Margarita Ballesteros, International Cooperation Office of the Department of Education and Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag, Office for Policy and Health Systems of the Department of Health.
The embassy expects that around 1,300 patients in need of operations and 700 delivering pregnant women in Bontoc General Hospital, as well as three sitios in Barangay Banawel for the construction of Level II potable water system at Natonin will benefit from the Japanese projects.
On the latter, the embassy said around 175 households or approximately 940 people would have access to safe water once the project was completed.
“This project will lessen the time spent for fetching water, and thus women can use their time more productively,” it said.
The Japanese government, as the country’s top official development assistance donor, launched the GGP in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engaged in grassroots activities in the Philippines.
At present, the newly signed grants included, at least 533 grassroots projects have been funded by GGP with a total amount of USD31.76 million or approximately PHP475 million.
Japan for its part expressed optimism the projects will not only strengthen the friendship between the peoples of the two nations but also contribute to further fostering its strategic partnership towards the future. (PNA)