Japan hopes flood-related issues in Philippines will be addressed

Metro Manila, Philippines - Japan hopes ongoing flood control projects in the Philippines will be successfully implemented, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya said, highlighting the importance of long-term collaboration and disaster resilience.

“Flood management or flood control is really an important area, one of the most important areas for us to work with the Philippine government,” Endo told NewsWatch Plus in an exclusive interview.

Tokyo has supported flood mitigation initiatives in the Philippines for more than 25 years, including improvements to the Pasig-Marikina rivers, funded through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Endo said these long-term efforts have shown progress and development.

“We have seen lots of progress and development with regard to those specific projects that we’ve been engaged in,” he said.

Asked about concerns over implementation challenges or domestic issues, Endo declined to comment on internal Philippine matters, stressing that Japan’s role is focused on cooperation and technical support.

“I refrain from commenting on domestic affairs directly, but with the shared efforts and endeavors by all stakeholders, I hope that the flood-related issues will be addressed properly in the near future,” he said.

Japan’s assistance also extends to broader infrastructure and climate resilience initiatives, including roads, railways, and human resources development.

“Our ODA cooperation has been quite wide-ranging. It is not only in the field of infrastructure development in the hardware field, but also in human resources development, which is also very important,” Endo said.

The ambassador said Japan remains committed to helping the Philippines strengthen disaster resilience and national capacity through ongoing collaboration, while respecting the country’s domestic governance.

“We hope that with the shared efforts, the flood-related issues will be properly addressed,” he said.