Japan gives $9.5M of rice for M’danao

Japan gives $9.5M of rice for M’danao
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:35:00 01/24/2009

Filed Under: Mindanao peace process, Diplomacy, Foreign affairs & international relations, Foreign Aid, Food

MANILA, Philippines -- Japan will extend 860-million-yen (about $9.5 million) worth of emergency food aid to people in Mindanao who were displaced by the ongoing conflict there, the Japanese embassy in Manila said.

In a statement, the embassy said the food aid of about 7,500 metric tons of rice will be coursed through the United Nations’ World Food Program.

Japan has been part of the peace-building efforts in Mindanao. Before the end of the tour of the International Monitoring Team overseeing the ceasefire between the Philippine forces and those of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Japan had a development expert in the team.

According to the embassy, the decision was finalized on January 23, when Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Italy Hiroyasu Ando and WFP Deputy Executive Director Sheila Sisulu signed and exchanged diplomatic notes of this emergency aid.

This decision has been conveyed by Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura, to the Philippine government, and Country Director and Representative of WFP Philippines Stephen Anderson.

On Wednesday, January 28, the grant agreement will be signed and exchanged between Norio Matsuda, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippines , implementer of Japan ’s Official Development Assistance, and WFP’s Anderson. The signing would be witnessed by Ambassador Katsura and representatives of the Philippine government.

This food aid is substantially larger than the one Japan gave earlier in 2006 for those displaced by the conflict in Mindanao, about 280 million yen (about $2.8 million).

Earlier in December 2008, the embassy provided sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, polyethylene containers, and sheets for tent amounting to $81,853 also for those affected by the conflict.

Japan sincerely hopes that this emergency food aid through the WFP would help mitigating the current humanitarian crisis in Mindanao and strongly expects a cease-fire and the immediate resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Japan has been implementing various support projects for reconstruction and development in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao down to the grassroots level. In 2006 and 2007, Japan carried out 21 Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) amounting to a total of 145 million yen (about $1.6 million), and has been implementing, through the Yen Loan Scheme, the ARMM Social Fund for Peace and Development Project (2,470 million yen or about $27.2 million), among others. ARMM is the political unit covering the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Through these projects, various kinds of infrastructure such as schools, training centers, water supply systems, and roads have been rehabilitated or constructed.

Also, Japan has been conducting the Study for Socio-Economic Reconstruction and Development of the Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao (600 million yen or about $ 6.5 million) since 2006 in view of massive needs of reconstruction and development, once final peace agreement is attained in the area.

Veronica Uy

sometimes the simplest idea can make the biggest difference

Thank you for those people who supported us, to my best friend mackay for giving the group a chance to spread the good works she has started.

God Bless us all...

bombed in new year's eve!!

From Inquirer dot net

27 hurt in General Santos City blast
By Aquiles ZonioMindanao BureauFirst

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—(UPDATE 4) A grenade exploded at the city's Oval Plaza as hundreds of people were celebrating the end of the year late evening Wednesday.
At least 27 people -- two of them police officers tasked to help secure the packed plaza -- were injured in the explosion, which occurred a few hours into the New Year.

Police authorities said they were not discounting the involvement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the 9:10 p.m. blast at the plaza, where the "Paskuhan sa GenSan 2008" celebration was being held.

Police Officer 1 Janver Pales and Police Officer 1 Romelyn Luminquit, who were part of the security team, were wounded along with 25 other victims.
Only one victim, Michelle Borromeo, remained in critical condition at the General Santos Doctor's Hospital.

Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. told reporters that the safety pin of the grenade used was recovered by the members of the police's bomb disposal unit near the booth of Katangawan village at the western portion of the oval plaza, about 30 meters away from the explosion site.
Acharon declined to pin the blame on any group but he said "there's a group, which is really trying to disturb our celebration."

Paskuhan sa GenSan is an annual event staged by the city government to make the Christmas celebration among locals here even more meaningful and colorful.

Various Christmas-related activities would be held at the oval plaza during this time, aside from the usual carnival fair, flea market, pavilions and display booths of various barangays.
Acharon said as early as last week, he has already been receiving reports that a certain group will stage attacks in several areas in Central Mindanao.

The oval plaza blast was the second bomb attack here during the last days of 2008.
Around 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, two civilians and a policeman on duty were injured when a motorcycle-riding suspect tossed a grenade near a police outpost in the intersection of Jose Catolico Avenue and Tiongson Street in Lagao Village.

Senior Superintendent Robert Po, City Police Chief, said they are looking at two angles as possible motives behind the incidents.

Po said it could be in retaliation for the raid conducted by the police intelligence operatives in purok Camasi in Ligaya village early Wednesday; and second, this could also be part of the MILF's region-wide operations against government forces.