Japan granted a total of P22.45 million to two non-government organizations in several Luzon and Mindanao provinces to build water and textile projects.

The first undertaking is the construction of water tanks and sanitary education by the Ikaw-Ako organization.

“The project will construct water supply systems that reuse rainwater, taking advantage of geographical conditions with relatively high rainfall,” the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines said Thursday in a statement to the media.

Unreliable water supply

The embassy said Bohol still lacks widespread access to a stable and safe water supply despite its declining poverty rate.

Bohol last year ranked 57th out of 82 provinces in the competitiveness index of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The provinces are evaluated based on their economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency and innovation.

“While the poverty rate in Bohol has improved significantly in recent years, residents still struggle to obtain safe water due to the lack of large rivers and lagging development of water supply systems,” the Japanese embassy said.

To complement its aid on water equipment, the embassy said it will spread hygiene education in communities, especially those in the farther areas.

Second is the facility for silkworm growing or sericulture through the help of the Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International.

“It involves the construction of a silkworm farm and mulberry plantation, as well as the installation of greenhouses and solar panel systems,” the embassy said.

This project aims to boost the production of silk also under the guidance of the Philippine Textile Research Institute or PTRI in Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya and Misamis Oriental.

“Although garment production is up, it is hugely dependent on imported yarns or fabrics. While handloom weaving has seen a surge, it relies on imported yarns, with only a few that were spun locally,” Department of Science and Technology-PTRI office director Dr. Julius L. Leaño told Daily Tribune.