MANILA – Japan has donated 300 metric tons of rice to support the victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami) and other calamities that devastated Leyte province over the past months, said the Japanese Embassy in Manila.
The donation, made under the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) framework, was formally turned over in a ceremony at Palo City in Leyte on November 27.
Kristine was among the strongest to hit and significantly affect the Eastern Visayas region.
The embassy said this assistance will also benefit communities affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
“Japan, as an important contributor to APTERR rice in the Philippines, has consistently shown compassion and solidarity with the Filipino people during challenging times. Over the years, hundreds of tons of stockpiled rice from Japan were distributed to thousands of families through APTERR,” the embassy said.
In October 2024, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that Kristine affected around 178, 685 families or 685, 049 people in the region, including Leyte.
At that time, some 4, 299 families, consisting of 14, 528 individuals were forced to stay in evacuation centers.
APTERR is a regional cooperation, which aims to strengthen food security, poverty alleviation and malnourishment eradication among its member countries.
The member countries distribute stockpiled rice to affected nations when severe calamities occur.
Embassy of Japan First Secretary Akasaka Hidenori led the turnover ceremony, which was also attended by National Food Authority (NFA) Deputy Administrator Mario Andrada, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary for Disaster Management Diana Rose Cajipe, and APTERR General Manager Choomjet Karnjanakesorn. (PNA)