Jica commits to support Asean integration efforts

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has affirmed its commitment to help narrow the development gaps in Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, as the region moves toward economic integration by 2015.

Jica’s statement came on the heels of President Aquino’s recent visit to Myanmar, where he met with business leaders and discussed growth opportunities through democracy and integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

According to Jica, it targets to address the human resources development needs of Asean countries by transferring Japanese expertise and technology through various capacity-building programs.

Capacity-building programs in countries like the Philippines and Myanmar, in particular, are part of Jica’s comprehensive strategy to help countries meet the demand and supply requirements of human resources in Asean and to foster cooperation among countries, it said.

It should be recalled that the years of cooperation between the Philippines and Jica, dating back to the 1960s, have already focused on socio-economic infrastructure including capacity-building in various fields.

After the transfer of Japanese technology and knowledge in key sectors in the country, Jica in turn promotes the sharing of Filipino know-how from these programs with neighboring countries, particularly those that have similar challenges.

Preparations for the Asean economic integration including such capacity building programs are already underway to help ensure the smooth transition by the 10 member countries.

By 2015, the Asean envisions an “Asean Economic Community”, which is defined as having a single market and distribution base, a highly competitive economic region with equitable economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy.

Jica is the agency of the Government of Japan responsible for implementing the technical cooperation, grant aid and yen loan programs of Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance to developing countries such as the Philippines.

Jica is currently the world’s largest bilateral aid agency with about $10.3 billion in financial resources deployed through a network of more than 100 offices outside Japan.