Japanese embassy, JICA reveal health projects for women, children in BARMM
The Japanese Embassy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Tuesday said they will launch two new projects to address health concerns of women and children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Our human security cooperation with the Philippines inbound provides a strategic for seeking gender-sensitive solutions, especially in the conflict-affected areas. To that end, Japan has formulated two new projects aimed at upgrading the BARMM’s health perspective and empowering women to ensure their meaningful participation in improving the health and nutrition status in the region,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said at a side event for the International Conference on Women, Peace, and Security.
Endo said the first project was the protection and empowerment for addressing women’s health needs and responding to gender-based violence in the BARMM.
“Under this project, we will strive to secure women-friendly spaces, an enhanced existing local competencies to better address the gender-specific needs of key areas in bond,” Endo said.
The project will be implemented in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority’s (BTA) Ministry of Social Services and Development and Ministry of Health.
Japan’s Grant Aid Cooperation will fund the project which is worth 724,000 yen and it will be implemented in 10 BARMM municipalities.
He added that the second undertaking is strengthening services in maternal and child health and nutrition improvement in the region, which is a technical cooperation project with JICA aimed at maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition services.
“Leveraging Japan's expertise and resources, we hope to reinforce BARMM’s nutrition and health structures and increase women's resilience to social economic, and disaster risks,” Endo said.
JICA Philippines Senior Representative Sakamoto Takema said that the two projects “ensure the improvement of “human security” status, amid the current compound crises, that threaten the progress of multifaceted gender mainstreaming efforts.”
In an ambush interview, Ishizaka Asuka, the first secretary of the Japanese Embassy’s Economic/Political Section, said the project for empowering and protecting women’s health and violence against them was different because it specifically targets the women, peace, and security agenda.
“This project was very well-designed to align with those two regional and national plans,” Ishizaka said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
