The Embassy of Japan, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), provided food and livelihood assistance to communities in Pigcawayan, Cotabato.

This includes the turnover of a fish truck and 50 ice boxes to the Datu Mantil Makangguna Association, the installation of a solar-powered ice block making machine in Barangay Datu Binasing, and distribution of food assistance to the Datu Mantil Makangguna women’s association and their families in Barangay Datu Mantil.

These projects form part of the "Enhancing Food Security and Livelihood in Bangsamoro" -- a collaborative initiative between the Government of Japan and UNDP Philippines. These aim to ensure food security, enhance supply chain and improve livelihood for sustaining peacebuilding and recovery efforts in the Bangsamoro region.

Together with this recent initiative, Japan has been contributing to the Mindanao Peace Process for more than 2 decades. Several projects have been undertaken under the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD), which aims to enable the people and the communities in target areas to enjoy the “dividends of peace” through Japanese ODA.

Japan remains steadfast in its commitment in supporting the progress of the Peace Process and in furthering development in Mindanao.