Japan presents dev’t map for Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - Visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday vowed to support the peace process in southern Philippines following the signing of the framework agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Abe presented to President Aquino “a very accurate and leading-edge topographical mapping of Mindanao” that Japan created for future economic development of the region.

The Topographic Mapping Project for Peace and Development in Mindanao amounting to 11.9 million yen (about P5.23 million) was the first “updated and precise digital map” developed in 60 years, according to the Japanese embassy.

It was completed under the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiative for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) for Mindanao.

The digital map, whose data can be flexibly processed and analyzed, will cater to the various needs of planning for development, environmental management, disaster management, land use, socio-economic development, urban utilities management, and transport system.

The project covered all 26 provinces in Mindanao, including Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and the remote islands of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi, Turtle and Mambahenaunahan with an approximate area of 100,500 square kilometers.

It was in Tokyo where President Aquino met with MILF chief Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim in August 2011, which was believed to have expedited the peace negotiations between the two sides.

In October of last year, the government and the MILF signed a framework agreement for the establishment of a Bangsamoro government that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Aquino said the core of the two countries’ strategic partnership were mutual respect, goodwill, and a determination to see each other prosper.

“As neighboring nations, we believe that the growth of our peoples will redound to the further development of our region. On this note, I thank the Prime Minister and the people of Japan for their continuous support of the peace process in Mindanao,” Aquino said.

Aquino said the J-BIRD was vital to the socio-economic development of the Bangsamoro.

He said the new initiatives of the program, which include community and human resource development, “will help my countrymen in the Bangsamoro rebuild their communities and become even more productive citizens of the Philippines.”

“For this, Your Excellency, you have the sincerest gratitude of the Filipino people,” Aquino told Abe.

Japan has been playing an active role in assisting the peace process in Mindanao.

The J-BIRD was launched in 2006 and since then Japanese socio-economic development advisers were deployed to the International Monitoring Team (IMT).

The new technical cooperation for the Bangsamoro government is expected to promote comprehensive capacity building to assist the work of the Transition Commission, Bangsamoro Development Agency, and the Bangsamoro Leadership Institute and facilitate smooth transition under the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and the Bangsamoro government.

Aquino said Japan was only one of just two countries with which the Philippines has a strategic partnership, affirmed and strengthen by Abe’s visit.

Aquino also expressed his wish for the good health of Emperor Akihito of Japan, and expressed hope Abe would continue to instill in his countrymen a renewed optimism in their economy and in their country “as you lead them to a more vibrant Japan.”

“And to the Japanese and the Filipino people, may they continue to build on the staunch friendship they have fostered through the years and together, work for the mutual advancement of our countries,” Aquino said.

Aquino said they agreed to strengthen bilateral policy dialogues and to continue high-level visits and people-to-people exchanges.

He said the Japanese government’s decision to encourage more Filipino tourists to visit Japan by allowing multiple-entry visas was welcome, along with the expansion of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth (JENESYS) program, which would “provide our respective students a unique opportunity to cultivate friendships and deepen their appreciation for our respective cultures and societies.”

“On the economic front, I congratulated the Prime Minister for the economic gains that Japan enjoys at present. This revival is the result of the Japanese government’s resolve to efficiently manage the economy by improving productivity and increasing the participation of citizens, particularly women, in the labor force. This growth is a positive sign for the global economy and for the Filipino people,” he said.

After all, Japan is the Philippines’ top trading partner, Aquino said, and in 2012, total bilateral trade amounted to $16.35 billion.

“Japan remains our largest source of development assistance, and our country’s second largest source of approved investments, which in the previous year amounted to more than P69 billion. Japan is also our third largest source of tourists; 412,474 Japanese nationals visited our shores last year,” Aquino said.

“Inclusiveness and the adherence to sound policy fundamentals are the same principles that have paved the way for the resurgence of our own economy. During our discussions, I underscored the commitment of my administration to meaningful reform, which is essential in nurturing an attractive and stable investment climate,” he said.

Aquino thanked Abe for Japan’s commitment to Philippine development, and for extending assistance in critical areas such as infrastructure development, transportation, connectivity, and disaster preparedness and response.

“I welcomed the technical assistance provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in developing a transport roadmap study for Metro Manila and its surrounding areas. I also expressed appreciation for Japan’s positive response to our request for a post-disaster stand-by loan through the Stand-by Emergency Credit for Urgent Recovery (SECURE),” Aquino said.

“I also thanked the Prime Minister for the positive indication from his government with respect to improvements in the Philippines’ aviation safety standards; we look forward to productive discussions for our air services,” the President said.

Aquino also told Abe he was looking forward to the commemorative summit in Tokyo in December to mark the 40th year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.

He said the relationship between Japan and ASEAN “serves as a cornerstone of harmony and dialogue in our part of the world.”

He said Abe’s visit “reaffirms our shared commitment to deepen our relations, foster cooperation, and more importantly build a more peaceful and more secure Asia-Pacific region.”

“It is by treading the path to progress and peace that we can bring about meaningful change for our peoples,” Aquino said.