During the Royal Audience, the President conveyed the affection and admiration of the Filipino people to the Emperor and Empress, including the estimated 300,000 Filipinos who consider Japan their second home.
The President’s parents, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, were warmly welcomed by the Imperial Couple as they landed in Japan for their first official visit back in 1966.
President Marcos is in Japan for an official working visit, where at least seven key agreements were signed on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, infrastructure, agriculture and digital cooperation.
Mr. Marcos also invited Prime Minister Kishida for a return visit to Manila in the soonest date as possible.
The President earlier secured billions of pesos worth of investment pledges from Japanese companies engaged in semi-conductors, electronics and wiring harness.
Based on the latest statistics published by Japan’s Ministry of Justice (MOJ) as of June 2022, there is an estimated population of 297,262 Filipinos living in Japan, making Filipinos Japan’s fourth-largest foreign community.
Of the estimated number of overseas Filipinos in Japan, 226,057 or 76percent are permanent residents, special permanent residents, spouse/child of Japanese, spouse/child of permanent resident, and long-term residents.
The two leaders concluded their first bilateral meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, with Prime Minister Kishida saying the deals “confirm the broadening and deepening of the bilateral relations that will indicate the direction for our shared future.”
Mr. Marcos described Japan as a “trusted friend and a solid and steadfast partner in our quest for peace and for progress.”
“We share common principles of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law,” the President pointed out.
“In July, we will celebrate the 67th anniversary of the normalization of our diplomatic relations. Our partnership continues to be among the Philippines’ most resilient and dynamic in the region,” the Philippine leader added.
The seven agreements cover various areas of mutual cooperationincluding humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, infrastructure, agriculture, and digital cooperation. Vince Lopez (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
These agreements are: Exchange of Notes on Japanese Official Development Project: North-South Commuter Railway Extension (NSCR) Project (II); Exchange of Notes on Japanese Official Development Project: NSCR – Malolos to Tutuban Project (II); Loan Agreement for the NSCR Extension Project (II); Loan Agreement for the NSCR – Malolos to Tutuban Project (II); Umbrella Term of Reference (TOR) on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Cooperation.
The deals also include a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) between the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Agriculture Cooperation; and an MOC in the Field of Information and Communications Technology.
