PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. arrived last night from a five-day official visit to Japan, bringing home $13 billion worth of pledges and investments that are expected to create more than 24,000 jobs and “further solidify the economic environment” in the country.
The President, accompanied by First Lady Louise “Lisa” Marcos and several Cabinet members, said his visit has been “fruitful” and resulted in the renewal of the partnership between Manila and Tokyo, and a stronger cooperation with the global business community.
Marcos said apart from an audience with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, he met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during which they mapped out a “transformative, future-oriented partnership that is responsive to new developments,” and witnessed the signing of seven key accords that include a 337-billion yen (US$3 billion) infrastructure loan agreement.
He said he also had a series of roundtable discussions and business forums where he relayed his administration’s commitment to create and sustain an enabling business environment, and sealed investment pledges from Japan-based companies in the manufacturing, infrastructure development, energy, transportation, healthcare, and renewable energy sectors, among others.
He said he also his talk with shipping owners and executives could benefit the 31,673 Filipino seafarers or about 70 percent of the maritime crew of the Japanese ship owners and operators.
Before returning to Manila, Marcos also met with the Filipino community and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protect the rights and interests of Filipinos working abroad and reiterated his gratitude for their contributions to the country’s progress and nation building.
The President, the First Lady, and Cabinet members met with the Filipino community at the Belle Salle Tokyo Nihonbashi in Tokyo.
Outside the venue, members of Migrante Japan held a rally against the imposition of mandatory contributions to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The protesters said Filipino workers abroad should not be treated as milking cows by the state insurance firm.
Marcos told the Filipino community he had productive meetings with Japanese investor groups and with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio with whom he discussed mutually beneficial relations.
Philippine Ambassador Mylene Garcia-Albano there are around 300,000 skilled and professional Filipinos throughout Japan, with majority of them employed as English teachers and engineers, as well as in the maritime, hotel and restaurant, and information technology sectors.
The President lauded the OFWs in Japan for their hard work and for putting the Philippine image in the global spotlight. He said Filipinos are known for being “kind, industrious, honest and English-speaking” workers.
He also said said his trip to Japan is important in fostering partnerships and alliances amid the global turbulence and the threat of adverse effects of climate change.
The President assured the OFWs of continued support of his administration through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) led by Secretary Susan Ople.
The President went on a five-day working visit to Japan starting February 8 for, among others, the signing of seven key agreements between the government of the Philippines and Japan, and 35 investment deals that are seen to boost cooperation in various fields, including infrastructure development, defense, agriculture, information and communications technology, automotive, education and tourism.
In an interview in Tokyo, Marcos said his visit is important it is “really a setting down the blueprint for our relations as we slowly emerge from the pandemic economy.”
Marcos said the effects of his trip, particularly the agreements, will be felt “very, very soon, very rapidly back home in the Philippines.”
He said Japan had been very supportive of the Philippines even in the ‘60s and ‘70s through cooperation in agriculture then, to the digitalization and infrastructure development at present.
