As part of Japan’s commitment to support Philippines and Filipino people, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) signed the Grant Agreement for the Project for Human Resources Development Scholarship, also known as the JDS Project on October 27.
In the 22nd year of JDS Project’s implementation in the country, this JPY 313-million scholarship grant continues to bolster Filipino public servants’ policymaking capabilities by funding their two-year Master’s degree education in premier Japanese universities while fostering them to be “Ambassadors of Goodwill” who will also contribute to the deepening friendship between the Philippines and Japan.
“The JDS Project is one of JICA’s long-standing grant aid projects for the Philippines. It is an excellent platform for Filipino public servants to experience Japan while studying Japan’s unique development history as a precious reference, which fosters the Philippines’ own self-help efforts towards sustainable socioeconomic success. The most important thing in the world is people. The scholars under the JDS Project are studying not only for their individual capacity development, but for the country’s future prosperity. They will bring back to the Philippines invaluable knowledge and experiences in order to contribute to the country’s brighter future and the Philippines-Japan sturdier ties,” said JICA Philippines Chief Representative SAKAMOTO Takema.
“Over the past 21 years, NEDA and JICA have been partners in implementing the JDS Project in the Philippines. Each year, we reach a milestone as we remain committed to the professional development of JDS Fellows. They serve as catalysts driving innovation and positive change in our public institutions as they contribute to the collective national effort of achieving our country’s development aspirations,” said NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.
The partner universities for Batch 22 are all 1st class universities in Japan such as Hitotsubashi University, International University of Japan, Kobe University, Meiji University, Nagoya University, Rikkyo University, University of Tsukuba, and Yokohama National University.
JICAMA revealed that applications to the 20 scholarship seats for the 2024 fall admissions will soon open. Interested applicants may check the JDS website for last year’s procedures to get a head start in preparing their documents and requirements.
The JDS Project’s priority study areas include Public Administration, Finance and Monetary Administration, Trade and Industry Investment and Promotion, Infrastructure Improvement and Development, Water Resource Management, Environmental Management, as well as Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, among others.
The Project has awarded scholarships to over 400 Filipinos across 21 batches coming from agencies such as NEDA, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and other government agencies.
For more information about the scholarship, please visit https://jds-scholarship.org/country/pdf/philippines_master_AG_2022.pdf .