AT LEAST 20 young Philippine government officials will benefit from the postgraduate scholarships of the Japanese government.

The P121 million financial grant from the Japanese government will finance postgraduate scholarships for young Filipino civil servants as part of its ongoing support to Philippine development priorities.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya signed the exchange of notes for the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship or JDS covering the Academic Year 2025-2026.

The JDS will allow 20 young Philippine government officials to pursue their graduate studies at leading universities in Japan.

“Upon their return, they are hoped to become future leaders helping lead social and economic development policies for the Philippines, and serve as a bridge to Japan and other nations,” Kazuya said.

“We are optimistic that this signing will sustain and further strengthen the bilateral relations between our two countries,” he added.

The program is part of Japan’s support for the human resource development initiatives of the Philippines, aiming to enhance the expertise of the JDS Fellows in their respective fields, thereby contributing to the development of their country.

According to the record, Japan has supported 439 JDS Fellows from the Philippines since 2002.