Beyond The Islands

Why Japan Was a Good Friend to the Philippines in 2018

2018 was a big year for foreign relations. With all the news and fanfare around China, there’s no doubt our country and our leaders owe a lot to the Asian giant. What many may not know is that we also had a reliable partner making good on its promises. It may have been on the sidelines, but it never left our side.

Japan has been nothing short of a good friend to the Philippines. In fact, it’s almost as if we are part of one family. Be it through joint infrastructure projects, job opportunities, or whatnot, the Land of the Rising Sun has always been ready to extend a helping hand to our country. This was especially evident in the past year. Let’s take a look back at some of the projects in 2018 that prove that Japan-Philippines relations are stronger than ever.

Disaster Preparedness

Earlier this year, Japan donated a total of 76 emergency vehicles to 35 local government units (LGUs) in Luzon and Mindanao.This assistance can help improve the emergency response services of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), which is one of the agencies mandated to perform disaster response in the Philippines. The Japanese Embassy in Manila also knows that the BFP has a shortage in emergency response vehicles. This project aims to address the shortage while benefiting a total of 3 million people in Luzon and 6.6 million people in Mindanao.

Energy

Last June, both Japan and the Philippines entered an agreement that would upgrade electric infrastructure and power generation efficiency in the country. The deal enables us to identify issues and remedial measures using the knowledge and experience of the Japanese. On top of that, Japan will train the Philippine government and independent power producers to help improve the operations and maintenance of existing thermal power plants while allowing the sharing of rehabilitation diagnosis results achieved through the action plan.

Japanese wind turbine maker Komaihaltec Inc. also inked a deal to set up a P242-million wind turbine power plant in Romblon in partnership with Romblon Electric Cooperative Inc. (ROMELCO) and with the assistance of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Once the three wind turbines in Barangays Agnay, Bagacay, and Lonos are built, they will help meet Romblon’s increasing energy needs.

Labor

With the shortage of unskilled laborers in Japan in areas such as agriculture and construction, the Japanese government decided to adopt a policy plan that would enable them to hire up to 500,000 individuals through 2025. Both Japan and the Philippines also entered an agreement that will allow both Filipino and Japanese nationals to get social security benefits in either country. It took effect last August 1, 2018. Additionally, employees are eligible to receive pension in each country by adding the periods of social security coverage in both countries. Employees who are dispatched for five years or less, however, will only be eligible by the pension system of the country they worked for. Ultimately, the agreement’s goal is to reduce the burden on companies and employees and encourage people-to-people and economic exchanges between the two countries.

Tourism

Last August, the Japanese Embassy in Manila announced that they are relaxing their visa requirements for Filipinos traveling to Japan for business, cultural, and intellectual activities. Japan will also expand the scope of applicants who are eligible for multiple entry visas along with the extension of the validity period from five years to ten years. This move, according to the Japanese Embassy, is designed to to promote “people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines,” and “contribute to the improvement of convenience for tourists, as well as increase in repeat visitors.”

Infrastructure

Just last month, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Manila-based multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) are set to co-finance the loans needed for the massive P777.6-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System project. The NSCR is actually the combination of three railway projects that will run from the Clark Freeport Zone to Calamba, Laguna. Once completed in 2023, 550,000 passengers are expected to use the NSCR. According to Department of Transportation (DOTr), the NSCR System is more cost-effective since it costs about $100 million per kilometer.

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