GOVPH

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY ASSURES JAPANESE PARLIAMENTARIANS THAT TIES WITH JAPAN REMAIN TOP PH PRIORITY

Philippine Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Robespierre Bolivar assured the newly-elected officers of the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League (JPPFL) on 25 April 2022 that its bilateral relations with Japan will remain among the Philippines’ top foreign policy priorities even after the national elections in May 2022.

In his remarks during the JPPFL’s General Meeting, he stated that “despite the change in our leadership, one of the things which, in my view, will remain constant in our foreign policy is the importance we will place on our relations with Japan”. He encouraged the parliamentarians to continue supporting efforts to strengthen cooperation between the Philippines and Japan.

DCM Bolivar highlighted the recent milestones in Philippines-Japan bilateral relations, including the inaugural Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministers Meeting, called the “Two Plus Two” last month and the convening of the first Maritime Dialogue, which discussed the two countries’ common concerns as regards the management of the seas. “As archipelagic nations, Japan and the Philippines both have a crucial stake in protecting our seas…it is essential that we continue to cooperate on issues, such as maritime domain awareness, maritime security and environment protection”, he noted.

DCM Bolivar also thanked Japan for its support for the Philippines’ efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, including its donation of more than 3 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines. He emphasized that “given the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, our cooperation in the field of healthcare is of the utmost importance. This is why the establishment of our Joint Committee on the Fields of Healthcare in 2021 is crucial.”

He recalled that the Philippines and Japan celebrated the 65^th anniversary of the normalization of its bilateral relations in 2021, the same year the Philippine Olympic Team won its historic first Gold Medal and the country’s biggest medal haul in the Olympic Games to date. He noted that “while Japan will undoubtedly continue to be our friend closer than a brother, Japan has also become an indelible part of Philippine Olympic history.”

The JPPFL is composed of members of the House of Councillors and House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet. This was the first meeting of the JPPFL since the pandemic began in early 2019.

JAPAN-BASED FILIPINA SINGER HAILED AS ONE OF AJC’S ASEAN FANTASTIC WOMEN

The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) released ten (10) short videos to introduce ASEAN Fantastic Women Living in Japan.

The program aims to deepen mutual understanding between the ASEAN region and Japan relating to work culture, cross-cultural experiences and women’s empowerment, and to create awareness about opportunities for ASEAN women in making a professional career in Japan.

Ms. Beverly Caimen, more known as Beverly, is the Philippines’ representative to this program. Ms. Beverly is a Filipino singer based in Japan under the label Avex Trax and has been releasing albums since 2017.

The episode on Ms. Beverly may be accessed through https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MHMJjkp8nw. 

INAUGURAL PH-JAPAN FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTERIAL TALKS IN TOKYO A MILESTONE IN DECADE-LONG STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

(Tokyo PE Photo)

PASAY CITY 09 April 2020 – In a significant milestone in their decade-old Strategic Partnership, the Philippines and Japan held their first Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting on 9 April 2022 in Tokyo, Japan.

The Philippine delegation was co-led by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., and Secretary of Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana. Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs HAYASHI Yoshimasa and Minister of Defense KISHI Nobuo led the Japanese side. 

The ministers hailed the establishment of the 2+2 talks as a key aspect in deepening security and defense cooperation between the two countries.  They also issued a Joint Statement reflecting the discussions that took place and the points of consensus they reached. They also noted the Terms of Reference on the 2+2 talks. The 2+2 with Japan is the Philippines’ second, after the United States. 

In his closing remarks, Secretary Locsin said, “We have laid the groundwork for the next decade of our strategic partnership. We have achieved a substantive clarification of all the issues and in many of them produced consensus. The security ties we are developing are much less than those of an alliance but much more than a cordial relationship.”

In addition to the 2+2 Meeting, Secretary Locsin and Secretary Lorenza separately met with their respective counterparts for bilateral discussions. In his meeting with Foreign Minister Hayashi, Secretary Locsin highlighted the Philippines’ commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and functional fields. Japan has been a reliable partner of the Philippines in its development agenda, capability-building initiatives, and COVID-19 recovery efforts. Both sides agreed on the importance of rules-based order that will allow both countries to remain resilient in light of emerging realities in the geopolitical arena. 

Secretary Locsin and Secretary Lorenzana paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio on 8 April 2022, ahead of the 2+2 meeting. The Prime Minister welcomed the two Philippine ministers to Japan and recalled his visits to the Philippines. PM Kishida said that PH-Japan relations enjoy a golden age. He expressed confidence in the success of the inaugural 2+2 meeting. 

(Tokyo PE Photo)