Germany extends technical economic package to Phl

MANILA, Philippines - The Federal Republic of Germany is extending to the Philippines a technical and economic assistance package worth almost P500 million aimed at helping the Philippines improve on certain areas such as peace development, conflict prevention and environment protection.

Both parties recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding that seeks to strengthen development cooperation between the two countries.

NEDA Deputy Director-General Rolando Tungpalan said the agreement was forged at the conclusion of the 2011 Philippines-Germany Governmental Dialogue held on Nov. 15.

According to the agreement, Germany will provide new allocations worth P278 million, for bilateral technical cooperation. It will also provide P205 million worth of financial and technical cooperation funds for four ongoing programs being implemented with assistance from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the KfW Development Bank.

Tungpalan said both sides agreed to a comprehensive evaluation of projects before utilizing the funds.

“Among the priority areas of cooperation outlined in the MOU are peace development, conflict prevention and the environment,” said Tungpalan, who led a government team in a dialogue with officials from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Dr. Josef Füllenbach, head of BMZ’s Southeast Asia Department led the panel from Germany.

The new allocation of P278 million would be used to implement an environment and rural development program that aims to improve the implementation capacities of key government agencies and local government units for the sustainable management of natural resources and for a biodiversity and climate change adaptation program.

The P185 million, meanwhile, will be reallocated for local government units.

Apart from the new allocations, and reprogrammed funds, the MOU stated that up to P29 million would be made available by the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) for a low carbon development project in the Philippines and Turkey.

Tungpalan said the Philippines welcomes the assistance from Germany.

“We see this dialogue as a continuing commitment of the German Government to uphold the principles of the Paris Declaration,” said Tungpalan, referring to the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.