Japan expands grant to Filipino scholars

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has provided a 264-million yen grant to boost the human resource pool in the Philippines that will help in its socio-economic agenda.

The Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) offers two-year masters courses in English to 20 young Filipinos, mostly working in government agencies, per year. The JDS is funded by the Japanese government through official development assistance and is managed by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

The post-graduate courses on offer cover infrastructure and industry development, public policy, financial reforms and small and medium enterprise promotion.

Chosen scholars can take up their studies at the International University of Japan, International Christian University, Nagoya University, Kobe University and Meiji University, among others.

“Through this program, we aim to continue helping the Philippines sustain its economic development by also focusing the scholars’ field of studies on areas relevant to the socio-economic agenda of the Philippines,” Jica Chief Representative Susumu Ito said during the signing ceremony on Monday.

“Japan also hopes to learn from the Philippines’ development experience through this exchange of knowledge,” he added.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia acknowledged the program’s role in developing the country’s human capital since it was first launched in 2002. —FRANCES JOSEPHINE E. ESPESO