THE Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), will provide funding for the P46.886 billion worth Philippine infrastructure projects in the coming fiscal year which starts in April 2012. 

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said around P35.212 billion of the amount will be loaned from the Japanese government, while the remaining P11.395 billion will be the national government’s counterpart funding. 

The total amount will finance seven projects which includes four projects to be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); some two projects to be implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA); and a project to be implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

“The high level meeting affirmed Japan’s strong commitment to support the Philippine development as manifested by the seven  projects that have been endorsed for which appraisal has been carried out,” Neda Deputy Director General Rolando G. Tungpalan said. “[These will be financed] this coming fiscal year. Japan’s fiscal year ends in March 30,” he added. 

Tungpalan assured that the assistance that the Japanese government will extend will adhere to the principles upheld in the recently concluded High Level Forum (HLF) in Busan, South Korea. 

The Busan outcome statement has been adopted by the Philippines. The statement pushed for the multi-stakeholder partnership which will help further the principles set in the Paris Declaration for Aid Effectiveness. The declaration’s overall goal is to improve the use of ODA and make it more responsive to the world’s development needs.

“We are meeting with the Manila-based development partners in mid-January to share with them our own take of the Busan outcome statement,” Tungpalan said. “The working party on aid effectiveness will convene for June 2012 to define both the indicators and the governance structure that would be relevant for them new global partnership for effective development cooperation but most likely it will go beyond the traditional donors, partner countries and it will include civil society, parliament, [among others].”

Included in the firm pipeline to be supported by Japan are the DAR’s Mindanao Sustainable Settlement Area Development Project, Phase II which is expected to cost P4.704 billion. The loan component will amount to P3.671 billion while the government counterpart will amount to P1.033 billion. 

The project will cover 12 settlement areas in 7 provinces of Regions 10, 11 and 12. This will cover 205 barangays and 24 municipalities, or around 69,091 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).  

The two NIA projects are the P6.149 billion worth Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Phase II (MMIP II) and the P4.297 billion worth National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (NISRIP).

The MMIP II project cost is composed of a loan from Jica worth P4.504 billion and a government counterpart of P1.366 billion. The project will cover the rehabilitation of the MMIP I’s Maridagao area and completion of the facilities and construction in the Upper Malitubog area. 

The project will also provide 10 pilot farms of training and farm inputs, demonstration and seed production farms, production and post-harvest equipment and marketing assistance as well as potable water supply facilities, school classrooms, barangay health stations, day-care centers, and farm-to-market roads. 

The NISRIP total project cost has a loan component worth P3.820 billion and government counterpart of P477.24 million. The project will cover 11 National Irrigation Systems (NIS), fill-up the existing gap of around 11,501 hectares between firmed-up service area and actual irrigated area.

The project will contribute in attaining the rice self-sufficiency program of the government and increase income of farm households thru the rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, institutional development to strengthen Operation and Maintenance, promotion of irrigation management transfer (IMT) from NIA to irrigators associations (IAs) and agricultural support. 

The four DPWH projects are the P5.411 billion worth Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan River, Tagoloan River and Imus River; P7.948 billion-worth Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase III; P15.113 billion Central Luzon Link Expressway (Clex) Phase I; and the P3.264 billion Arterial Road Bypass Project Phase II (ARBP II). 

The total project cost for the Flood Risk Management Project will be composed of a loan worth P4.198 billion and a government counterpart of P1.213 billion. This project aims to mitigate flood damage in vulnerable areas. 

This will be done through the implementation of structural and nonstructural measures for the improvement of rivers in high risk flood-prone areas and to facilate development of the core areas in the three rivers.

The cost of the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase III will be composed of a loan worth P6.893 billion and a government counterpart of P1.056 billion. 

The project aims to implement river channel improvement works along the stretch of Lower Marikina River and the remaining portions of Pasig River, which are not covered by the ongoing Phase II.

The cost for the Clex will be composed of a loan worth P10.579 billion and a counterpart funding of P4.534 billion. The project involves the construction of a 30.7 km four-lane expressway from Tarlac City to Cabanatuan City section.

The cost for the ARBP II will be covered by a P1.548 billion worth loan and a P1.716 billion government counterpart. The project involves the construction of Contract Packages III and IV, Plaridel Bypass or Bustos-San Rafael, Bulacan. 

The Contract Packages III and IV are the remaining sections to complete the entire stretch of the ARBP with an aggregate length of 24.6 kilometers and 10 bridges. The proposed road bypass, covering about 9.96 kms, includes the construction of four new bridges, drainage facilities, slope stabilization works and furnishing of miscellaneous items.