On August 17, Japan will turn over 300 metric tons of rice from Japan to the families affected by Mt. Mayon Eruption, under the framework of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).

A turnover ceremony will be held at Camalig, Albay, led by Nihei Daisuke, Economic Affairs Minister of the Embassy of Japan.

Officials from Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, National Food Authority, APTERR Secretariat, and Albay Province will also be there.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report as of 10 August, a total of 9,876 families or about 38,961 persons from 26 barangays were seriously affected by the eruption. About 5,371 families are still reportedly staying in 27 evacuation centers, while 418 families are seeking shelters outside of the evacuation center.

Japan is the biggest contributor of APTERR rice in the Philippines.

APTERR is a regional cooperation started in 2012, which aims to strengthen food security, poverty alleviation and malnourishment eradication among its member countries.

To accomplish its common goal, the APTERR parties have agreed to establish rice stocks to assist member countries in times of large-scale natural disasters.

In the Philippines, several thousand tons of stockpiled rice from Japan under APTERR were distributed to previous typhoon victims during Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, Typhoon Ineng in 2015, Typhoon Jenny in 2019, Typhoon Odette in 2022 to name a few.

In 2020, Japan also provided 425 metric tons of rice to households affected by the Taal Volcano eruption; in 2021, pre-cooked rice were distributed to families affected by COVID-19 in Quezon City, the City of Manila, and selected parts of the provinces of Bulacan and Cavite. Japan Information and Culture Center