JICA readies aid for Bangsamoro region

MANILA, Philippines — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is lining up assistance for the Bangsamoro region which has been hit hard by the pandemic amid its transition period.

The Japanese government’s official development assistance (ODA) arm announced that it recently completed a rapid assessment survey in the region with the Ministry of Interior and Local Government in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MILG-BARMM) on how the coronavirus pandemic impacted areas still affected by conflict.

This survey, conducted from late June to July, is  part of the ongoing Capacity Development Project for the Bangsamoro (CDPB) to support the transition of the Bangsamoro government by 2022.

Covered were 113 municipalities, two cities (Marawi and Lamitan, and 63 barangays in North Cotabato. Those who responded to the survey were some 1,700 local government officials, barangay executives, and residents in the covered areas.

Results of the assessment showed that the coronavirus pandemic had the most impact on access to basic necessities and emergency needs as well as transporting goods and services to main markets because of mobility restrictions.

People in the region were also experiencing challenges in public transportation, high prices of food and daily necessities, insufficient supply of goods, as well as insufficient income.

Respondents cited the immediate need for stability in the supply of food and medical supplies, improvements in infrastructure, and resumption of agricultural activities to usher in economic recovery.

“JICA will continue to support peace building initiatives in the Bangsamoro, particularly in revitalizing its economy in the midst of this pandemic. The global health crisis is particularly hard for Filipinos in conflict-affected areas where many rely on public services,” JICA Philippines senior representative Yo Ebisawa said in a statement.

“The survey will help assess the impact of COVID-19, and determine the needs of the communities so they may receive assistance in economic recovery.”

JICA said The Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority is also considering using the survey result for preparation of the Bangsamoro Recovery Plan.

The conflict has set back economic progress in the region for decades. The Bangsamoro region remains among the poorest in the country with more than half of its families living in poverty.

The agency has been supporting the peace and development works in Mindanao to usher in prosperity in the region for years.

Total ODA for Mindanao peace and development has so far reached 51 billion yen or about P23 billion from 2002-2019.