Japan promises continuous support for Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines — The Mindanao peace process is now at a critical juncture with the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in full swing for implementation, with the campaign period for the plebiscite on Jan. 21 next year and the decommissioning of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants, according to Japan’s top diplomat in the Philippines.

Ambassador Koji Haneda said supporting the Mindanao peace process has been a high priority for Japan for more than a decade. He said many Japanese experts have been working in Mindanao together with its friends and partners on the ground.

Under the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development, or J-BIRD, Japan has provided a total of about P13 billion worth of assistance since 2006 to the Bangsamoro region.

“Japan wishes to continue to support the Mindanao peace process in a comprehensive manner, fully taking into account new circumstances after the passage of the BOL,” Haneda said at the Bangsamoro Forum, co-hosted by the Japanese embassy in Manila and the United Nations, held recently at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippines Office in Makati City.