Manila: Construction equipment, radars as well as communications and surveillance equipment are among the assistance that Japan would provide to the Philippines as the latter confronts terrorism and rebuilds a devastated city.
In a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the department’s International Finance Group (IFG) said a grant of 1.5 billion yen (Dh48.51 million) would be extended by Japan to the Philippines. The grant would be in the form of heavy equipment and machineries to be used for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of heavily damaged Marawi City.
“The equipment includes bulldozers, excavators and dump trucks,” the IFG said
The four-month campaign by the government against Islamic extremist groups such as the Maute and Abu Sayyaf in Marawi has left large areas of the city in ruins. Authorities said it could take years before the Central Mindanao urban centre could restore economic activity to its former vitality.
Marawi City is home to the Maranao, a Muslim tribe who have a reputation for their trading acumen.
Reconstructing and rehabilitating Marawi City to its former vibrant self is critical for improving the conditions in not just the city, but Central Mindanao and the nearby regions in general as it is considered a commercial and trading hub.
Tokyo’s relations with Manila run deep.
The Philippines exports agricultural goods such as bananas and pineapple, as well as marine products to Japan.
On the other hand, Filipinos are a growing market for Japanese goods such as cars, electronics and other equipment.
The IFG said Philippine and Japanese governments will at any time sign the exchange of notes on projects intended for rehabilitating Marawi City as well as strengthening the maritime safety capability of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The PCG will receive equipment for the improvement of its maritime safety and counterterrorism capability.
These hardware include radar systems, closed circuit televisions, and radio systems, the IFG said.
During President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Japan last year, Dominguez and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) president Shinichi Kitaoka formalised several agreements that would help improve the Philippines’ maritime safety capability, including a deal for a 16.5-billion-yen (6.8-billion-peso) concessional loan covered by Tokyo’s Official Development Assistance for the acquisition of two large-scale patrol vessels for the PCG.
The loan was part of Tokyo’s continuing assistance to the PCG’s Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project.
The loans from Japan carries a low interest rate of 0.01 per year.
Besides the loan agreement, Japan had also announced the provision of additional vessels for the PCG through a 600-million-yen grant (Dh19.4 million) for the procurement of high-speed boats and other equipment to boost the Philippines’ anti-terrorism and security activities.
Japan had earlier said it would provide the Philippines with five TC-90 maritime patrol aircraft in addition to the two it had delivered this year.
Japan and the Philippines are both concerned over the increasing boldness of China in securing islands in the South China Sea.
Over the recent years, China had constructed fortified outposts in areas of the South China Sea previously considered as part of international waters.
