On January 18, President Akihiko Tanaka delivered the first speech by a foreigner to the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA) Congress in Cotabato City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, praising the BTA’s steady progress in the peace process in cooperation with the Philippine government and strongly emphasizing that JICA will continue to cooperate with the people of Mindanao to help peace take root. JICA will continue to work closely with the people of Mindanao to help the peace process take root.
In response, the BTA Congress adopted a resolution thanking and honoring JICA for its past cooperation with the Mindanao region, marking the first time that the BTA Congress has passed a resolution of appreciation and praise for cooperation by a specific agency or entity. The resolution was proposed by BTA members of Congress to recognize JICA’s support for the peace process and cooperation in the reconstruction and development of Mindanao, a region that has been affected by more than 40 years of conflict between the Philippine government and Islamic rebel groups.
JICA’s support for the Mindanao peace process began in the 1990s and has continued with a wide range of efforts, including governance support, livelihood improvement and community development, and economic development support such as infrastructure development and fostering local industry through industrial clusters. In particular, in 2008, as peace negotiations stalled and fighting intensified, and countries scaled back their assistance, JICA continued to cooperate through the strong determination of the late then President Sadako Ogata. In addition, President Tanaka actively contributed to the promotion of the peace process by announcing his support for the creation of institutions, human resource development, development planning, and medium- to long-term regional development that would improve people’s livelihoods and lead to employment, with the aim of concluding a comprehensive peace agreement for the Bangsamoro. In addition, he co-hosted a seminar with a Malaysian university to discuss what we as citizens can do to ensure that dialogue toward a peace agreement is not interrupted.
JICA will continue and expand its cooperation as a reliable partner of BTA to promote the transition process from the Transitional Authority, improve the livelihood of the people of Mindanao, and strengthen its support for the socio-economic development of Mindanao.
© Source JICA