A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was forged between the Government of the Philippines and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on the development cooperation between both governments.

The MOU was signed after a governmental dialogue led by NEDA DDG Rolando G. Tungpalan and Dr. Josef Fullenbach of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Development Cooperation (BMZ)-South East Asia Department. Among the priority areas for the development cooperation outlined in the MOU are peace development, conflict prevention and the environment.

The Federal Republic of Germany undertooko to provide new allocation worth €4.75 million under bilateral technical cooperation. In addition, €3.17 million worth of financial cooperation would be reprogrammed for the Development and Peace Building in Mindanao project. Another €325,000 remaining funds from expired technical cooperation projects would also be reprogrammed for three projects, namely Microinsurance Innovations Programme for Social Security (MIPSS), Desentralisation Programme, and Study and Expert Fund.

Tungpalan said that even if the Philippines is no longer considered by BMZ as a programme country, he lauded Germany for continuing to uphold the principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which is an international agreement for developing countries to exercise effective leadership over their development policies for more harmonized, transparent and effective actions.

Written by Omar Dumdum, DIS, loc. 103

Reposted from NEDA-Online, 16 November 2011.