The Philippines and Japan on Friday signed and exchanged notes on a PHP376 million Japanese aid to support road construction and emergency response in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The diplomatic notes on the non-project grant aid (NPGA) from Japan for BARMM was signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko on the margins of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s two-day official visit to Manila.

The exchange of notes is valued at JPY957 million (or approximately USD6.8 million or PHP376 million), the DFA said.

The NPGA will cover the Bangsamoro region’s acquisition of construction equipment for road network improvement and disaster quick response operation.

It aims to provide assistance in relief operations, such as restoration and cleaning vital access roads, bridges and waterways, as well as provide assistance in relief operations during calamities and disasters, the DFA said.

It is also eyeing to mitigate the impact of flooding aggravated by climate change in the Bangsamoro region.

An NPGA is a type of grant facility that seeks to assist developing countries through the provision of foreign currency funding for the importation of goods that make use of Japanese technologies in addressing a specific economic or social need. (PNA)