LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The province of Benguet received two projects from the Japanese Government during the separate turn over ceremonies in Buguias and La Trinidad last week.
In a report by the Japanese Embassy, First Secretary Kenji Terada attended the turnover ceremony of the newly constructed biodegradable waste composting for environment conservation and farmland soil enrichment in the municipality of Buguias and the newly constructed food-processing center in the municipality of La Trinidad on June 21.
The two projects are part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) of the Japanese government.
In 2015, the Embassy of Japan (EOJ) provided assistance to Buguias amounting to US $91,599 or approximately P3.84 million for the construction of an aerated biodegradable waste composting facility that will transform biodegradable waste products into organic fertilizers.
It is expected to benefit around 38,000 farmers not only through the reduction in production cost but also through the availability of safe and healthy food to the community. More importantly, this project will serve as a model for other municipalities on the efficient use of composting facility for waste management.
The turnover of ceremony of composting facility in Buguias was attended by local government officials led by Mayor Melchor Diclas and Japan Agricultural Exchange Council Coordinator Waki Sasago, a Japanese non-government organization which will instruct operation of the facility.
In La Trinidad, the turnover ceremony for the food-processing center was attended Mayor Edna Tabanda and Benguet State University President Dr. Feliciano Galora, as well as other guests and officials from BSU and LGU of La Trinidad.
In 2011, the EOJ provided assistance to BSU amounting to US $107,806, approximately P4.7M for the construction of a food processing center that will utilize and provide value adding activities to locally available crops in the area. The facility, which primarily aims to process raw strawberries into jam, will improve the transportation and marketing of strawberry jams to other parts of the country.
The Government of Japan, as the top ODA donor for the Philippines, launched the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects in the Philippines in 1989 to help reduce poverty and help various communities engaged in grassroots activities.
At present, 519 grassroots projects have been implemented by GGP. Japan believes that this project will not only strengthen the friendship between the peoples of Japan and the Philippines but also contribute in sustaining strategic partnership between the two countries. (Redjie Melvic Cawis/PIA CAR)