Ambassador ENDO Kazuya signed a $60,711 (PHP 3,500,000*) grant contract Feb. 25 with Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew J. Marcos Manotoc to fund rescue boats for disaster relief in Laoag City and surrounding areas.
The project will provide two rescue boats to strengthen disaster preparedness in a region that experienced eleven typhoons and above-normal rainfall in 2024. The boats will enhance safety for residents during flooding events.
The funding comes through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGP), which Japan established in the Philippines in 1989 to reduce poverty and support community initiatives. This project marks the 567th GGP-funded initiative in the Philippines.
As the Philippines’ top official development assistance donor, Japan views these projects as strengthening friendship between the nations and contributing to their strategic partnership.
The provincial government will use the grant to procure two rescue boats, improving the province’s disaster preparedness and rescue capabilities. These resources will help protect residents of Laoag City and its surrounding municipalities during flooding emergencies.
The project, titled “The Project for the Provision of Rescue Boats for Disaster Relief in Laoag City and Its Vicinity, Ilocos Norte,” represents Japan’s continued commitment to supporting grassroots human security initiatives in the Philippines.
*Dollar Rate 1 USD = PHP 57.65 (as of December 9, 2024).
