Ramos moves to save project

Ramos moves to save project

MANILA (AFP): President Fidel Ramos yesterday moved to save Japanese funding for a 1.3 billion peso (US$54.17 million) irrigation project in the southern Philippines, which has been disrupted by Moslem guerrilla violence.

Ramos directed Executive Secretary Teofisto Guingona to assure Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Yoshifumi Matsuda and Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) officials that the government is addressing the peace and order situation at the project site, a presidential palace statement said.

Ramos has deployed an army engineering unit to take over the construction work in Carmen town, which he is scheduled to visit Friday, it added.