Private sector’s role

As former senior executive vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the new ambassador of Japan to the Philippines is definitely aware of what our country needs and what his nation can do to help.

Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko has said that the relationship between the two countries is a shining example of cooperation and mutual understanding, and that he is delighted to have this opportunity to scale new heights of the bilateral relations and forge even closer friendship.

He pointed out that through the years, Japan’s commitment to bring development closer to the grassroots and support the peace process and human security has brought  remarkable results in the Philippines, bolstering bilateral ties.

Last month, the ambassador even took a ride on the MRT Line 3, whose rehabilitation was funded by the Japanese government. According to news reports, Koshikawa expressed enthusiasm over the improved train speed resulting from rail replacement works, which were part of the line’s massive rehabilitation program carried out by Japanese company Sumitomo Corp.-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. He also affirmed Japan’s commitment to bring development to the people of the Philippines through quality infrastructure assistance.

As of March 2019, Japan was still the Philippines’ biggest source of official development assistance (ODA) loans and grants amounting to $8.3 billion or 46 percent of the total. Japan, through its aid arm JICA, committed to lend to the Philippines last year a total of $2.35 billion at low interest rates to continue building more infrastructure.

Last year, JICA said the Japanese government likewise committed to continue providing ODA to the Philippines despite the pandemic, especially for big-ticket infrastructure projects to support the Build Build Build program. Of the 100 flagship projects included in the P4.4-trillion Build Build Build pipeline, 49 projects worth P2.3 trillion will be financed by ODA from bilateral development partners like Japan, as well as multilateral lenders.

Koshikawa said  he would exert more effort in increasing bilateral trade and investment and promoting cooperation on various issues such as infrastructure development, disaster risk reduction, medical and health sector, agriculture, the Mindanao peace process, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. He also gave assurance that the Philippines is not alone in its fight against COVID-19 “and that with the combined efforts of our public and private sectors, we will get through this public health challenge in due course.”

During the turnover by Universal Entertainment Corp. (UEC) and its subsidiary, Okada Manila, of 5,000 units of state-of-the-art UV-C handy irradiation sanitizers to the Department of Health, Koshikawa emphasized the importance of a strong partnership between Japan and the Philippines despite the global health emergency. The turnover ceremony was attended by officials of UEC, Okada Manila’s operator, headed by its director Kenjie Sugiyama, and Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega.

Koshikawa also revealed that Japan extended two massive budget support loans to augment the Philippine government’s COVID-19 war fund.

The Japanese envoy reiterated his call for Japanese firms operating in the country to extend their helping hand.

He noted that UEC and Okada Manila’s donation is a good example of private sector engagement that the society is in great need of. Last year, UEC also donated 500,000 pieces of facemasks as part of its countermeasures against the spread of COVID-19.

Sugiyama, for his part, said UEC and Okada Manila remain committed to extending its support to the Philippine government and the Filipino people during this unprecedented time, not only to revive Philippine tourism, but also to be active partners of the government in nation-building.

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