On 20 November 2023, Ambassador KOSHIKAWA Kazuhiko signed a grant contract for the third phase of the “Safe Vegetable Production Technology Dissemination and Vegetable Distribution System Improvement Project” with The Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC), a Japanese non-governmental organization (NGO).

The grant amounting to USD 599,412 (approximately PHP 33.54 million) is funded under the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects. 

Initiated in March 2021, the project collaborates with the Department of Agriculture, Provincial Governments, and Local Government Units in Luzon.

Designed to minimize production costs and increase farmers’ revenue, the project seeks to disseminate the technology involving the application of charcoal, wood vinegar, and locally sourced compost available in vegetable fields.

It also intends to enhance the process of distributing vegetables. 

The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects was initiated in the Philippines in 2002.

Since then, the Japanese Government has awarded contracts for 62 projects in the Philippines under this scheme, amounting to approximately JPY 1.76 billion (approximately PHP 650.14 million) in total.

Japan believes that this project will not only strengthen the friendship between the peoples of the Philippines and Japan but also bolster the existing strategic partnership between the two countries.

Note: Exchange Rate from BSP: 1 USD = PHP 55.9550, 1 JPY=PHP 0.3694 (as of November 13, 2023)