MANILA – The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has disbursed its 50 billion yen COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan to the Philippine government on Aug. 14 to immediately help the country deal with the pandemic.

MANILA – The Philippines became the first recipient of Japan’s emergency support loan for COVID-19 affected economies with the early disbursement on Aug. 14 of its 50-billion yen financing package to the Duterte administration.

TOKYO – The Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) said Friday it will donate 100 million yen to help Filipino students in Japan “tide through economic difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

MANILA/TOKYO – Clinical trials in the Philippines will begin next week for the Japanese antiviral drug Avigan, a potential treatment for the new coronavirus, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Wednesday.