Last Friday, in Calinog, Iloilo, First Secretary and Agriculture Attache Tachikawa Jumpei attended the official turnover of the completed agroforestry support facilities under the Forestland Management Project.

Present during the event were Environment and Natural Resources OIC-Assistant Secretary for Field Operations-Western Mindanao Arleigh Adorable, Regional Environment and Natural Resources Executive Director Livino Duran, Calinog Municipal Mayor Francisco Calvo, and JICA Philippines Office Project Formulation Advisor Takao Ryoko.

Ten agroforestry support facilities were turned over in the municipalities of Calinog, Lambunao, and Janiuay, Iloilo. These facilities include irrigation pipeline systems, access roads, pathways, and bridges which aim to connect communities to markets, boost their access to social services, and help sustain community-based forestry initiatives.

A coffee processing facility in January was also constructed to further develop coffee processing and boost livelihood in Iloilo.

This endeavor forms part of the 10-year 9.244-billion-yen Forestland Management Project (FMP) of the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The FMP seeks to protect 71,300 hectares of forests in the country's watershed areas Upper Magat and Cagayan River Basins, Pampanga River Basin, and the Jalaur River Basin, covering the provinces of Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, and Iloilo.

Launched ten years ago, the FMP highlighted environmental protection including forestland management as one of the major pillars of collaboration between the Philippines and Japan.

In his message, Tachikawa expressed his hope that the project will not only contribute to climate change mitigation and environment protection but also to improved livelihoods and sustained flow of development in the municipalities, creating a positive ripple effect in neighboring communities. Japan Information and Culture Center