On March 17, Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko attended a ceremonial turnover of 300 metric tons of rice donation from Japan to the Typhoon ''Odette'' affected areas under the framework of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).

Also present were National Food Authority Administrator Judy Carol Dansal, and Department of Social Welfare and Development Director Emmanuel Privado. The rice donation were received by Surigao del Norte Vice Governor Eddie Gokiangkee, Jr. for distribution to their constituents who were victims of Typhoon ''Odette''.

During the ceremony, Ambassador Koshikawa cited Japan as the biggest contributor of APTERR rice in the Philippines and stated that these rice stocks will immediately be dispatched to the affected families in Cebu, Bohol and Surigao del Norte in need of sustenance and hopefully serve as a source of revitalization.

The Ambassador affirmed that Japan would continue to make every possible effort to help Filipinos build back better in the aftermath of catastrophes.

“Together, we will rise above each storm and attain regional food security, with the assurance that we have each other’s back,” he concluded.

APTERR is a regional cooperation started in 2012 to strengthen food security, poverty alleviation and malnourishment eradication among its member countries. In the Philippines, several thousand tons of stockpiled rice from Japan under APTERR were distributed to thousands of victims of devastating typhoons such as Yolanda in 2013, Ineng in 2015 and Jenny in 2019, among others.

In 2020, Japan also provided 425 metric tons of rice to communities affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. Last year, pre-cooked rice were distributed to families affected by COVID-19 in Quezon City and the City of Manila as well as selected parts of Bulacan and Cavite under the APTERR. Japan Information and Culture Center