The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines has donated over 300 metric tons of rice to Eastern Visayas families affected by calamities, including the El Niño phenomenon and severe tropical storms.

The embassy’s First Secretary Akasaka Hidenori led the turnover of the donation in Palo City, Leyte last week.

In his speech, Akasaka expressed his hopes that the donated rice would soon reach the affected families and would serve as their source of nourishment and revitalization.

National Food Authority Deputy Administrator Mario Andrada, Department of Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary for Disaster Management Diana Rose Cajipe witnessed the turnover of the rice.

As of October 2024, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that typhoon “Kristine” affected around 178,685 families or 685,049 people in the region, including Leyte Province.

In addition, the Office of Civil Defense also reported 4,299 families, consisting of 14,528 individuals stayed in evacuation centers.

Japan 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 the APTERR scheme.