GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines (PNA) - The government of Japan has extended the tour of duty of its troops that were currently deployed in several parts of Mindanao as part of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team (IMT). An embassy statement said Tuesday Japan will continue with its involvement in the IMT, which is mainly tasked to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as part of the ongoing peace process. "The Government of Japan has decided to extend the tour of duty of Japan's IMT contingent in response to the request of the Philippine Government for the IMT to stay for another three months from December 9, 2010," it said. Japan was the first non-Muslim country that joined the IMT in October 2006. Since then, Japan has been dispatching two experts on reconstruction and development of Mindanao as part of the socio-economic component of the IMT.
In addition to the IMT, Japan has actively contributed to the peace process and development in Mindanao by participating in the International Contact Group as well as by launching the J-BIRD or Japan Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development since December 2006 in order to enable the people and the communities in the conflict-affected area to enjoy the "dividends of peace" Under the J-BIRD, Japan has implemented Official Development Assistance projects, amounting to approximately 11.23 billion yen (Php5.92 billion), through various schemes such as grant aid, technical cooperation, loan aid, and the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). As for the GGP under the J-BIRD, Japan has implemented 40 projects, amounting to approximately 313 million yen (Php160.73 ).
