THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) welcomed the offer by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) to exceed its 2009 level of official development assistance (ODA) loans of $700 million.
“This level of assistance would have to take into account the Philippines’ debt management strategy and fiscal space,” said Neda Investments Programming deputy director general Rolando G. Tungpalan during a meeting with Koki Hirota, director general of Jica’s Southeast Asia 1 and Pacific Department.
Neda discussed with officials of Jica the importance of aligning their new country assistance strategy with the Philippines’ next Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).
Strategy
Tungpalan said, “it is timely that Jica is developing a new country assistance strategy as the Philippine government is preparing for the next MTPDP. We hope that Jica’s country strategy would dovetail the Philippines’s next development plan.”
Tungpalan also said he appreciated the announcement of Hirota that Jica is willing to support more programs and projects, especially in the areas of capacity-building, operation and maintenance and climate change.
Jica said it wants contribute to the promotion of international cooperation as well as the development of the Japanese and global economies by supporting socioeconomic development, recovery or economic stability of developing regions.
It provides bilateral aid in the form of technical cooperation, Japanese ODA loans and grant aids.
Biggest
Japan’s ODA is the biggest foreign assistance extended to the Philippines. In 2004, Japan’s ODA accounted for 48.8% of the overall foreign aid to the Philippines.
The country has been among the largest recipients of Japan’s ODA.
In 2006, $272 million was extended to the country. In that year, Philippines was the 3rd largest recipient next to Indonesia and Vietnam.
Hirota’s visit was part of Jica’s undertaking to develop its next regional and country strategies for the Southeast Asian region.
“It is clear that there is a convergence of interests between Philippines and Japan. It is essential that the two countries ensure the alignment of their development strategies, the effective and efficient usage of Japanese development assistance, and the communication of development results to the general public,” Tungpalan said. (PR)