LAOAG CITY—A young Japanese
volunteer Masatoshi Koido will be living in Ilocos Norte for two years. Fresh
from a two-week training course of getting-to-know this agricultural province
and its people, he can now speak and understand some Ilocano language, enjoys
singing “Pamulinawen”, an Ilocano folk song where Laoag derived its city
festival, eats pinapaitan and fishball among others.
Feeling ‘at home’ in the
province for barely few days stay, Koido, 26, is one of 10 young professionals
deployed last week to work with key industries in the Philippines under the
Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) Program of the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA).
A graduate of Bachelor of
Science in Science and Engineering major in social and economic sciences of the
University of Tsukuba, one of the oldest and most comprehensive research
universities in Japan, Koido is in Ilocos Norte to work with the officers of
Agrarian Reform Cooperatives (ARCs) here.
As a premiere tourist
destination, Ilocos Norte is geared up to further improve its agricultural
products and services to meet international standards.
Apart from land distribution
as one of the mandates of the Department of Agrarian Reform, Engr. Vic Ines,
provincial agrarian reform officer II in Ilocos Norte said they have
intensified their support services to beneficiaries such as trainings on
organizational management, enterprise development including provision of common
service facilities etc.
As a former bank employee,
Koido said he can share his experience on book keeping, accounting and
marketing to help local cooperatives.
“Our ARCs will benefit a lot
from our volunteer [referring to Koido]. Though we provide local trainings,
it’s also different when our beneficiaries will have a chance to learn new ways
and integrate this knowledge being practiced by other countries like Japan,”
Mr. Ines said.
In a memorandum of agreement
signed between and among parties, Koido is expected to assist in intensified
rice production with complementary common service facility project of the DAR.
In a one-on-one interview
with Koido, he said he also dreams of introducing new and high value seeds to
farmers and help them market their products to increase their income.
Mr. Ines said Ilocos Norte is
lucky to have Koido for a period of two years to share his expertise and in
return, for the volunteer to personally experience the culture and values of
Filipinos to attract more foreigners to visit Ilocos Norte. (Leilanie
G. Adriano)
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