Japan, BARMM embark on joint health programs

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Bangsamoro government had reached a deal to cooperate on complex maternal and child care and nutrition programs in the autonomous region.

The agreement was signed on Thursday, June 19, in Manila by JICA’s representative to the Philippines, Baba Takashi, and Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua.

Macacua and Bangsamoro Health Minister Kadil Sinolinding, Jr. separately told reporters in Cotabato City on Saturday, June 21, that they are grateful to JICA, a humanitarian outfit of the Japanese government, for helping boost their current maternal and child welfare programs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Sinolinding stood as a witness to the symbolic crafting of the cooperation agreement by Takashi and Macacua.

The project, which shall initially cover BARMM’s capital, Cotabato City, and the adjoining provinces of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, shall commence in September this year.

Japan had supported the tedious, 22-year peace talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Malacañang and even had, for a number of years, Japanese socio-economic experts in the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team that observed the ceasefire between the MILF, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines while the negotiations were underway.

The government-MILF peace talks ended with the crafting by both sides of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro that led to the replacement in 2019 of the then 27-year Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a more politically and administratively-empowered BARMM.  

“We cannot thank JICA enough for its commitment to help us forge ahead with this more comprehensive health and nutrition program that shall benefit the Muslim, Christian and non-Moro indigenous communities in the autonomous region,” Macacua, who is a senior MILF official, said.

Sinolinding, who is also a member of the 80-seat regional parliament, said the Ministry of Health-BARMM will involve local executives in implementing the programs in the autonomous region.