Malacanan Palace
15 October 2012

President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao Urabe, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) senior vice president Hideaki Domichi and JICA country representative Takihiro Sasaki during a courtesy call at the Music Room in Malacañan Palace.

The call followed shortly after the signing of the Bangsamoro framework agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The officials are very pleased with the peace agreement because JICA is one of the agencies that strongly supported peace and development projects in Mindanao, focusing in agriculture and energy sector projects. Together with the World Bank, they will help the Philippine government in setting up a development framework for the region. This will cover assistance in capacity-building and infrastructure projects.

Also present during the call were Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.