Japan promises record $2 bn loan to the Philippines

Meanwhile, many eldery and disabled Japanese are on waiting lists for nursing care.

Japan has money/ Compare its revenue and expenses. Lasr year when China stopped putchasing US nonfd J increased and becamd top buyer. Anyway this is a excellent invesrnent Japan Inc will cooperate.Bryyrt yhab ibvreasing putchase of US bonds. In US it is not rash to have train bisoness. Some state thar has are choo xhoo trains..

@mountainpear: This is just a roundabout way of putting money in the hands of Japanese construction companies!

Even so, those companies hire local people to do the work on spot. And guess what? Those companies do not take back the railways so after being completed the facilities remain in the country in question for everybody to use. But I know, it is always easier to find fault than to show appreciation for something other people do.

@joyce: Prime minister Abe is a "genius". He is going to cut assistance to the Fukushima disaster victims, elderly, etc, and borrow US $2 billion in more debt to add to the national debt which is about 250% of Japan's GDP.

Joyce, do you have any, really any idea how budged is decided and allocated in Japan? Obviously not. And if you make such claims as the one above, please, at least bother to provide some links. Would be highly appreciated.

Nice gesture of course by Japan, but I'm surprised they have the money to spare

hays! stupidity again by the PH govt.,! they just borrow and borrow money from other country because they are not the one who will going to pay this, its the filipino people or maybe because they knew(PH govt.) that the reigning monarchy king of the philippines(maharlika) and the sole/heir of the whole philippine archipelago is in his way in embargoing the said land under OCT-1-4, will be the one who will going to pay all the debts of his kingdom. bring back the glory of MAHARLIKA, hail to the king HRH Tiburcio Villamor Marcos Tallano Tagean IV, the last succesor of the 12 Roman Emperors. GOD BLESS PH. GOD Bless to the TAGEAN clan.

Japan and China re the largest US debt holders. Obama just said he wants to make USA do not have to ask China to lend money to rescue US economy. USA is almost bankrupted if it were not China and Japan purchasing US bonds. UK and other European countries, not much as China and Japan, they are big bonds holders, too. Also, USA can not get out their US military from Japan as it depends on japan paying about $3 billion a year to let US military stay. Omoiyari funds.

Fukushima etc J Govt paid to prefectures and receivers claim they can not find construction workers to spend. Ninsokus do not move there they have been saying. So some thinks Japan will borrow money from U/s to assure U/s bankruptcy will be faster.

No worries about where the money is coming - the BOJ just makes it all happen with a few keystrokes......

Prime minister Abe is a "genius". He is going to cut assistance to the Fukushima disaster victims, elderly, etc, and borrow US $2 billion in more debt to add to the national debt which is about 250% of Japan's GDP. Do not forget the US$ 100 billion in loans he promised for the Asian infrastructure projects. So he can get the US $2 billion to loan to the Philippines. He just gives the 3 credit rating agencies more reasons to "further downgrade" Japan's sovereign credit rating. May be Japan will overtake USA to gain the honor as the world's biggest debtor by size, at US$18.2 trillion or US $ 18,200 billion in debts for the USA.

Now brainy Filipine people can get jobs in Filipine.

the project sounds Japanese Shinkansen style train line. It is not going to copy out of dated coach type trqins etc. Japan Inc can recruit Filipine brainy people now/ Many of them move to USA and become male nurses male hair dressers female barbars in Nevada where we have shortage of employees. Hot weather attract them. Doctors here are either Filipino or Chinese. The project is in Fiipin so it is better to recruit Filipino engineers there Just like JPn Inc recruit American brainy engineers in USA.

I heard that Japan's closet government officials in the Philippines, including President Aquino, are about to step down in 2016 (June or July). The Philippines is known for patronage politics, and if the next president is from the other party, the 2 Billion US Dollar grants will be wasted. I suggest for Japan to give the Philippines in KINDS (coaches, trains, and electro-mechanical equipment) and the contractors and main engineers who will do the rail projects should be JAPANESE.

Marcus A. Perkins:

All war was terrible. However, at that time Philippines was a country occupied by a foreign country.

"So let me ask you this if tomorrow, 25 US citizens slipped into the barracks of a local AFP base in Philippines and hacked all the soldiers to death with bolo knives and machetes. What do you think the response of the Filipino people in to today's world would be?"

If we were to use your analogy correctly, then Philippine troops would be occupying the U.S., and American freedom-fighters would be ambushing them. The Philippine response in today's world would be to question the occupation of the United States.

Yesterday, Obama's tongue slipped "instead asking China to lend money to resvue US finance ,,,,, "

Why US spying Japan? But not China"

mountainpear

We know who will be doing the work on the railway, don't we!

Yup, Philipino labors making it happen, who else?

@AU_user_since_1998. Please! No one in modern history equaled the Nazi's and the IJA in atrocities, including every single atrocity committed by the US in the PI. The comparison lacks knowledge of history.

Meanwhile, not to defend the actions of Gen Chaffe and the US Army in Samar, but known as "The Balangiga Incident" of 1901, Filipino insurgents dressed as women pretending to go to Mass to get past the US Army sentry's, attacked US Soldiers in their tents sleeping with axes, bolos, and any other kind of large to medium sharp knife they could find. The Filipinos, hacked 48 US Soldiers to death. MEANING they butchered them in to pieces. Not a very honorable way for the noble Filipino to fight the war. EVEN Gen Aguinaldo hero of the Philippine War, called for the capture and trial of the Filipinos who did this horrible event. The people of the town buried the dead and literally left the town. They knew what was coming.

Yes the payback was equally horrific. But there was a lot of emotion and passion in the reaction. Nothing like that had happened to the US Army since the Indian Wars.

So let me ask you this if tomorrow, 25 US citizens slipped into the barracks of a local AFP base in Philippines and hacked all the soldiers to death with bolo knives and machetes. What do you think the response of the Filipino people in to today's world would be? Random attacks on Americans in the streets? Maybe attack all the Marines while on exercises with the PI Military in the "Shoulder to Shoulder" Exercise? Yes it was a bad thing the US Army did in Samar, but no one in the PI thinks what the Filipinos did to the US Army soldiers sleep in their tents was a brave and honorable thing. No, they think its embarrassing! For the rest of the conflict (war) with the exception of the Moros, no Filipino executed such a crime against the US Army like the one in The Balangiga Incident" of 1901

Americans during the 1898-1901 Full-scale war against the Philippine troops had committed equal atrocities with that of NAZI and IJA. Well documented atrocites was when Gen. Lawton was killed by sniper in Manila and when 66 US Infantry was ambushed by transvestite (cross-dresser) Filipino troops, dressed as women and grandmothers. The US General assigned in Samar and Leyte killed virtually all Filipinos ages 10 and higher. Even old women, they killed them point-blank range because West-Pointer attitiude (and Wild-West) attitude considered that time that guerilla warfare like fighters blending in the local population was ILLEGAL and BARBARIC.

Meiyouwenti

Because you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

We know who will be doing the work on the railway, don't we! This is just a roundabout way of putting money in the hands of Japanese construction companies!

No countries are friends. Only business partners.

This 2billion dollar loan isn't just for refurbishing railways but for "friendship". Many countries pass out loans or gifts or donations or technology in hopes of getting that country on their side when it comes time to pass a resolution or to gain favor on the political battlefield.

Also, that donated money never fully goes to the publicized project (railways) and often doesn't make it past special interests (modernizing its military).

CrazyJoe

Remarkable indeed. But why is it that the people of the Philippines remain silent about the atrocities committed by the Americans in the 1930's?

"The Philippines on the other hand, offered friendship since 1952. The Philippines returned/repatriated hundreds of prisoners-of-war including several dozens of war criminals already convicted of Death Penalty, some were scheduled to be executed on that year."

Well, with friends like that, how could we have lost WWII??

The greatest recipient of Japanese Soft Loan in the 1970's up to 90's was CHINA. All the soft loan (including ODA grants) given by Japan to the rests of the world, when all combined, are even less than what China had received. However, China's anger toward Japan had never subsided, rather it even intensified.

The Philippines on the other hand, offered friendship since 1952. The Philippines returned/repatriated hundreds of prisoners-of-war including several dozens of war criminals already convicted of Death Penalty, some were scheduled to be executed on that year.

@crazyjoe: Does the Philippines has any better options to choose? This news reminds me Greece and Germany two decades ago when their friendly days and history enmities were gone 'temporarily'!

I must say, it is truly remarkable, and admirable, how the Philippine people have managed to put aside the past between their nation and Japan, unlike China, who wants to keep the old historic enmities alive forever at all costs.