PEACE BY PEACE
In January of this year, I had the honor of having dinner with His Excellency, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya. I look forward to such occasions where I have a chance to share a meal and speak with our nation’s strongest and most reliable allies.
I have been with Ambassador Endo during events here in Manila and other places across the country where the Philippine and Japanese governments, together with our other local and international partners, have launched various programs and projects.
The dinner-meeting allowed me to better know the good ambassador whose tour of duty in the Philippines began in April 2024. I also had a chance to discuss with him the various peacebuilding and socioeconomic efforts that are being jointly carried out by our countries.
The Philippines and Japan share an unbreakable bond that continues to strengthen over the years. Our nations’ relations go beyond the trappings of foreign policy as it is anchored on mutual respect, common ideals and a shared vision for the future.
Our partnership is deeply rooted in our nations’ mutual desire to bring greater peace, progress and stability to all Filipinos, particularly to the Bangsamoro people who, for decades, bore the brunt of armed conflict.
This is the reason why the Japanese government has focused its interventions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which is currently undergoing a remarkable transformation.
Among the key initiatives the Japanese government is supporting in the BARMM is a cross-cutting program that aims to uplift the socioeconomic well-being of residents by enhancing and promoting more climate-resilient livelihoods.
Through this program, the Government of Japan, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) will provide assistance to 36,000 small hold farmers, fisher folk and decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.
In particular, the $5-million or roughly ₱286-million project shall strengthen the capacity of the BARMM, local governments and communities to better handle climate-related events, reduce the negative impacts of climate change on food security, and enhance social cohesion in Bangsamoro communities.
Another initiative the Japanese government is spearheading together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the Community-Driven Economic Development and Reconciliation (CEDAR) Project, which we launched last March 5.
The CEDAR Project is a community-centric initiative that is designed to expedite the delivery of much-needed socioeconomic interventions in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable communities, particularly in the Bangsamoro.
This joint Japan-UNDP effort seeks to create an enabling environment for sustainable area-based development, promote human security through community economic development and livelihood initiatives, and enhance local capacities to implement community transformation.
The Japanese government is also supporting the Assistance for Security, Peace, Integration, and Recovery for Advancing Human Security in BARMM (ASPIRE) Project, which is being implemented by the UNDP.
The ASPIRE Project is aligned with the security component of the Normalization Program, particularly its Small Arms and Light Weapons (SAL-W) Management Program, which aims to significantly reduce the proliferation of loose firearms in the Bangsamoro.
The project does not only address the security aspect of loose firearms but also implements socio-economic interventions that seek to create more and better livelihood opportunities for residents, as well as empower local government units to bring progress to their people and protect their communities.
Aside from these aforementioned interventions, the Government of Japan also provided a $10-million or ₱572-million grant to support the UN’s Habitat Program which provided core shelters and livelihood programs for those affected by the 2017 Marawi siege.
And at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Japan gave the Philippines a ₱400 million grant to procure life-saving cold-chain transport and equipment for the country, which included refrigerated trucks, transport boxes and ice pack freezers, among others.
To demonstrate its wide-ranging support to the Philippines, Japan is helping our country advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda throughout the nation and across the Asia Pacific.
During the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security (ICWPS) hosted by the Philippines, which gathered more than 800 women leaders from across the globe, Ambassador Endo pledged Japan’s full support to the international effort.
In his remarks during the conference, the ambassador highlighted the Government of Japan’s efforts to help champion gender equality and women empowerment in the Philippines.
He introduced two new projects that aim to promote the WPS agenda in the BARMM, which include “The Project Strengthening Services in Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Improvement in the BARMM” and “The Project for the Protection and Empowerment of Women for Addressing Women’s Health Needs and Responding to Gender-based Violence in the BARMM.”
With all of these interventions, the Japanese government has remained faithful to its commitment to help the Philippine government push forward, build on and sustain the gains of peace throughout the country.
In the second part of this column, we shall be discussing how Japan is supporting the Government of the Philippines’ various peace mechanisms and their impact on the Bangssamoro region’s peace, security and stability.
(Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., is the presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity.)