The Japanese government has turned over cold storage and Mokusaku vinegar facilities to the local government of Buguias to improve farming production techniques and enhance the distribution capabilities of farmers in this vegetable-growing town in Benguet province.
First Secretary and Agricultural Attaché AKASAKA Hidenori of the Japanese Embassy attended the turnover ceremony of a cold storage facility to the Municipality of Buguias, and Mokusaku (wood vinegar) on March 19, 2025. Also in attendance were Benguet Governor Melchor D. Diclas, Buguias Mayor Ruben L. Tinda-an, Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary Joycel R. Panlilio, and the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council Chairman Masami Sotome.
These facilities were constructed and installed under the 3-year project called “Safe Vegetable Production Technology Dissemination and Vegetable Distribution System Improvement Project” led by the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC).
The whole 3-year project, which commenced in 2021, was funded under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects, one of Japan’s Official Development Assistance schemes, initiated in 2002.
So far, the Japanese Government has awarded contracts for 67 projects in the Philippines under this scheme, amounting to more than JPY 2 billion, approximately PhP779 million in total.
The project has been instrumental in providing support to Filipino farmers, helping them enhance their production techniques and vegetable distribution by incorporating innovative technologies and establishment of facilities including the development of the cold chain system through the cold storage facility and equipment.
A “Mokusaku vinegar facility” refers to a setup or technology, also known as a “wood vinegar” facility, that produces a liquid called Mokusaku (or pyroligneous acid) by heating organic materials like wood, coconut shells, or bamboo, and then cooling the resulting vapor.
The wood vinegar (pyroligneous acid) is obtained by cooling and condensing the smoke produced during charcoal production and is used in agriculture as a natural pesticide, soil conditioner, and plant growth enhancer. Due to its environmentally friendly properties, wood vinegar is widely utilized in organic and sustainable farming.
Japan believes that these projects will not only strengthen the friendship between the peoples of the Philippines and Japan, but also bolster the existing strategic partnership between the two countries.
