MANILA – The Send-Off Ceremony for the 13th Batch of fellows of the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship Project or JDS Project was held on 6 August 2015 at Astoria Plaza in Pasig City. First Secretary, Hiroyuki Enoki attended the ceremony. Also in attendance were Deputy Director General of National Economic and Development Authority, Mr. Rolando G. Tungpalan, Director General of Foreign Service Institute of Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Claro S. Cristobal, and officials of Philippine Government agencies.
The JDS project is a scholarship project financed by the Government of Japan through its Official Development Assistance – Grant Aid Program. The aim of the project is to enhance the JDS Fellows’ expertise in their respective fields, such as “Financial Reform, Investment and SME Promotion Policy”, “Capacity Development of Government officials”, “Transportation infrastructure”, and “Regional development administrative in Mindanao / Support for establishmentof Bangsamoro autonomous government”. The project also aims to help build a pool of future Filipino leaders from various governmental institutions as well as non-government organizations located in Mindanao region. JDS Fellows are expected to contribute to the country’s overall socio-economic development by returning to and working in the Philippines.
A total of 20 persons comprise the 13th Batch of JDS Fellows from the Philippines*.Including 13th Batch Fellows, the Philippines have a total of 279 JDS Fellows up to this date.
* Organizations of 13th Batch of JDS Fellows
– National Economic and Development Authority (including regional offices)
– Philippine Statistic Authority
– Civil Service Commission
– Department of Public Works and Highways (including regional offices and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)
– Department of Agriculture (including attached agency)
– Office of the Ombudsman (including regional offices)
– Local Government Unit (General Santos City)
– Bangsamoro Development Agency
– Moro Women development and Culture Center (NGO)
– United Youth for Peace and Development (NGO)
* Accepting Universities
– International University of Japan (Graduate School of International Relations-International Development Program)
– Kobe University (Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies- Special Course for Development Policy)
– International Christian University (School of Arts and Sciences- Public Policy and Social Research)
– Meiji University (Graduate School of Governance Studies- Public Policy Program)
– Nagoya University (Graduate School of Environmental Studies- Nagoya University Global Environmental Leaders Program)
– National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Graduate School of Policy Studies- One-year Master’s Program of Public Policy)
– Hiroshima University (Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation- Development Technology Course) (Eagle News Service/Embassy of Japan)