GMA to seek more aid from Japan

President Arroyo is to seek increased aid from Japan, the Philippines’ top provider of official development assistance, during a three-day state visit to Tokyo, officials said yesterday.

Mrs. Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo are to depart for Japan for the three-day state visit at 9:20 a.m. today.

Malacañang said Mrs. Arroyo would deliver tomorrow an address before the Diet, the Japanese parliament, meet Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and make a traditional call on Emperor Akihito.

Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon said only selected world leaders have been invited to address the Diet.The only other Philippine leader to speak before the parliament was Carlos P. Garcia.

"We are also talking about peace, meaning, security in the region, and prosperity, meaning, not only our economic development but cotributing to the economic development in the region," Siazon said.

A high-level source said Mrs. Arroyo would ask Tokyo to raise its annual loan package to Manila for the coming Japanese fiscal year by about 8.8 percent to roughly $617 million.

Japan’s latest loan package to Manila, its 25th, equaled some $567 million.

"The 26th yen loan package is one of the major talking points of the state visit," said the high-level source, who asked not to be identified.

The Palace statement said Mrs. Arroyo and Koizumi would discuss "Japan’s continued support and contribution of Japan official development assistance to Philippine development, particularly to Mindanao."

Filipino officials have held initial discussions with representatives of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation about possible funding for 12 key infrastructure projects, the source said.

Mrs. Arroyo’s trip Monday would mark her third to Japan since coming to power in January 2001.

She was also to address heads of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, or Keidanren, and give a news conference at the National Press Club, the Palace said, before returning home Thursday. – AFP, Paolo Romero