The Japanese government has provided P11 million in funds to help improve the commercialization of strawberries in the Philippines.
Japanese Ambassador Haneda Koji and Ikaw-Ako, a Japanese non-government organization conducting activities in the Philippines, signed the grant contract.
The aim for the funding is to be used to fund the project to commercialize strawberry cultivation of Japanese quality strawberry.
The project encourages farm tourism and will be held in Patag, Silay City in Negros Occidental.
Funding for the project was made through the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects, a small-grant funding program of Japan’s Official Development Assistance.
The said project also aims to help reduce the increase of poverty in the area which will lay an amount of income option to it’s residents by making use of Japan’s strawberry cultivation technology and expertise on the operation of farms focusing on agri-tourism.
Japanese is well-known for their one-of-a-kind strawberries some of these are 初恋の香り/ Hatsukoi no Kaori (Scent of First Love), 愛ベリ/Ai Berry (Love Berry) and スカイベリ/ Sky Berry.
The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects started in the Philippines in 2002. Since then, the Japanese government has made contracts for 51 projects in the country under this scheme amounting to approximately 1.2 billion yen.
The project is expected to bolster the existing strategic partnership between the two countries.
Sources: The Philippine Star, jpinfo.com
Photo Sources: CountryLivingMagazine, 3dGeography, jpinfo.com
