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Philippines and Japan Universities Join Forces To Promote Banana and Cacao Production

Clockwise: Philippine Embassy in Tokyo Deputy Chief of Mission Robespierre L. Bolivar delivering remarks during the virtual signing ceremony; Tamagawa University President Yoshiaki Obara and CLSU President Dr. Edgar Orden present the signed Collaborative Research Agreement on the Development of Novel Disease Management Systems for Banana and Cacao; and officials of the Tamagawa University in Tokyo witness the signing ceremony.

 

13 July 2021 – In a virtual ceremony held today, the Central Luzon State University (Philippines) and Tamagawa University (Japan) signed a collaborative research agreement that aims to establish integrated technology systems for the control of diseases in banana and cacao. The project, which will be implemented this year until 2026, will be supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the “Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development” (SARTREPS).

Deputy Chief of Mission Robespierre L. Bolivar, representing the Ambassador at the ceremony, welcomed this occasion and stated that, “the launching today of the collaborative research tie up between two prestigious universities, in partnership with select Japanese agricultural universities and research institution and a business enterprise, underpinned by science and technology for sustainable development, takes on the bold and serious fight to combat persistent and menacing diseases in bananas and cacao.”

“It affirms that international cooperation, in particular, recognizing the support of the government of Japan in the program, can resolve global issues and can contribute to the welfare of poor farmers whose livelihood and source of income depend on a successful applied research,” DCM Bolivar added, and emphasized that the signing of the agreement coincides with the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and Japan.

The Philippines is the largest exporter of bananas in the Asian region (and 2nd to Ecuador in the world). The Philippine cacao, marketed as a health and sustainable food, is also gaining popularity in the global market, with the growing group of Philippine artisanal chocolate or “bean-to-bar” makers.

Both tropical crops are affiliated with each other because small farmers employ banana-cacao intercrop farming system. A major challenge faced by both industries, however, are production losses caused by plant diseases.

The Philippine Embassy supports programs in sustainable agricultural production, to contribute to the food security and resiliency of the Filipinos under the new normal.

Eight PHx Tokyo Designers Mark Their Debut in Tokyo this July

PHx Tokyo Designers Spring 2022

28 June 2021 – The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo is pleased to inform the public of the PHx Tokyo exhibition on 7-9 July, 2021 at Lifork Harajuku. Eight Filipino designers will showcase their designs in clothing, bags and accessories for the Spring 2022 collection: BAGASAO, Feanne, HaMu, J Makitalo, Jill Lao, Kelvin Morales, LORICO and Neil Felipp.

Spearheaded by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) in the Philippines, in collaboration with H30 Fashion Bureau and LIT Fashion Consultancy in Tokyo, Japan, the event is a culmination of a fashion journey that began in November 2019 with PHx Fashion Conference, focused on helping emerging Filipino brands gain a foothold in the Japanese fashion market.

“I congratulate the PHx Tokyo organizers for introducing our talented designers from the Philippines into the Japanese fashion market. I wish our designers success as they share their creativity and collaborate with their Japanese partners,” remarked Ambassador Jose C. Laurel V.

For more information, please contact H30 Fashion Bureau (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 03-6712-6187) or LIT Fashion Consultancy (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 080-4941-8475).

 

123rd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence Back-to-Back Virtual Commemorations

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PHILIPPINES, JAPAN SIGN SPACE COOPERATION AGREEMENT

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Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director-General Joel Joseph S. Marciano (upper right) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) President YAMAKAWA Hiroshi (upper left) holding the signed the Agreement on Space Cooperation, overseen by Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V (lower right) and Japanese Ambassador to Philippines KOSHIKAWA Kazuhiko (lower left).

11 June 2021 – In a virtual ceremony held today, the Philippines and Japan signed an agreement on space cooperation.  Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano, Jr., Director General, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) signed on behalf of the Philippines, while Dr. YAMAKAWA Hiroshi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) President signed for Japan.

The Memorandum of Cooperation aims to provide a framework of cooperation in the following areas: space applications; satellite development; space environment utilization; capacity building for space related technology development, space policy and legislation; space science and space exploration; and promotion of space industry.  The two organizations may also identify other areas of cooperation.

“As we sign this agreement, we look back to what our country has been able to achieve in space over a relatively short period of time, and how Japan has contributed substantially to those efforts. Today, with JAXA, we look to further that cooperation as we continue to build forward, inspire, and open more opportunities for Filipinos to access and benefit from space”, remarked Dr. Marciano. “We bring to this cooperation our people and their experience from the Diwata and Maya satellites, along with our investments in ground infrastructure and capabilities for processing and analyzing spaceborne data. Together, we will create even more value from these activities and cascade them further to society” he adds.

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PhilSA Director-General Marciano and JAXA President YAMAKAWA Hiroshi signing the Memorandum of Cooperation on Space Cooperation, on behalf of the Philippines and Japan, respectively.

Ambassador Laurel who was also present at the ceremony commended both parties for this achievement noting that this year also marks the 65th anniversary of Philippines-Japan relations and the 10th year of both countries’ Strategic Partnership.  “The signing of the MOC opens the door wider into that future. I congratulate PhilSA and JAXA in laying this groundwork, and I, along with my colleagues in the Embassy, am proud to be part of this effort, because our small investments today will mobilize generations who come after us in their bid to conquer new frontiers. Today is indeed a fitting tribute to a remarkable bilateral relationship,” Ambassador Laurel stated.

By virtue of the Philippine Space Act, PhilSA was established in 2019 as the central government agency addressing all national issues and activities related to space science and technology applications. 

This year, the Philippines’ Maya-2 CubeSat was transported to the International Space Station through JAXA, and released into space to conduct scientific demonstration of imaging and store-and-forward communications. Maya-2 was completed by Filipino engineers in cooperation with the Kyushu Institute of Technology, with funding from the Philippine government through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).  Other satellites such as the Diwata microsatellites were also completed in collaboration with Japanese universities and launched through JAXA.

The Philippines also continues to engage in various activities spearheaded by JAXA, such as the annual Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), the National Space Legislation Initiative (NSLI) and the Sentinel Asia. The Philippines, which hosted the APRSAF in 2016, has been regularly participating in its various working groups as a venue for exchanging experiences and best practices in space development and utilization. Through the efforts of the PhilSA and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the country also contributed to the drafting of the NSLI report, which was submitted to the 60th session of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS). Through Sentinel Asia, the Philippines is able to obtain additional support for disaster management through Earth observation satellite data, geographic information systems and other space-based technologies.

 

 

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