TOKYO/MANILA – The Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing emergency relief goods to the Philippines in response to the damages caused by the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Northern Luzon last July 27.
The assistance includes generators, portable jerry cans, tents, sleeping pads, and plastic sheets, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Tokyo.
“In light of the humanitarian perspective and the close relations between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines, Japan has decided to provide emergency assistance to the Philippines to support people affected by the earthquake,” MOFA said in a statement on July 29.
“Japan will continue to carry out assistance towards the earliest possible reconstruction of the affected area while taking into account the needs of the Philippines,” it added.
Meanwhile, JICA Chief Representative to the Philippines Takema Sakamoto expressed his deepest sympathies to the people affected by the earthquake and reassured their support to the affected communities.
“Kasama [ninyo] kami. Our thoughts are with those who suffered from this disaster. Acknowledging these are challenging times, we sincerely reaffirm our support to the Filipino friends," he said.
“We have already decided to provide our disaster relief supplies and the Japanese experts already in the Philippines are willing to share their knowledge and experience with front-line government agencies involved in disaster management and recovery,” he went on.
The Japan Embassy in Manila also reiterated its support to the communities in need. - Florenda Corpuz
(Article cover photo courtesy of JICA Philippines)
