PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived at 5:55 p.m. on Sunday after a four-day trip to Japan, describing his visit to Osaka as “productive.”
In Osaka, Marcos led the Philippines’ tourism campaign and met with Japanese business executives to boost trade and investment ties, especially in the energy and shipbuilding industries.
In his arrival statement, Marcos said: “We return inspired to continue building a Bagong Pilipinas that delivers more jobs, more investments, and more opportunities for every Filipino.”
He said he also “welcomed key business commitments that will directly benefit our people,” highlighting that among the executives he met were from the Kanadevia Corporation, which partnered with the Philippine Ecology Systems Corporation on a waste-to-energy project to manage waste while generating clean energy and the Tsuneishi Group for the building of the world’s first methanol dual-fueled KAMSARMAX bulk carrier in Cebu.
Marcos said the bulk carrier project will help create jobs and position the Philippines as a leader in green shipping.
“We also strengthened our partnership with Japanese tourism leaders to bring more visitors to the Philippines and open more opportunities for our workers,” he added.
The President said he also met with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for a new cooperation in space technology to enhance disaster monitoring, support farmers, and strengthen community safety.
Marcos said he also attended the World Exposition 2025, where the Philippines had its own pavilion which “highlights the best of who we are.”
“It tells the world the story of a nation rich in culture, driven by innovation, and committed to building a sustainable and inclusive future. This strengthens our standing as a destination for tourism, partnership, and investment,” said Marcos who first visited the Pavilion on Friday and again yesterday before he departed for Manila. He also visited the Italian Pavilion at the World Expo.
The President said he also met with the Filipino Community in Osaka where he “thanked them for representing our country with dignity, professionalism and compassion that continue to bring pride to our nation.”
EMBRACE ROOTS
Last Saturday night, the President urged the second and third-generation Filipino youth who grew up and lived in Japan to embrace their roots and deepen their connection with the Philippines by learning the Filipino language, and understanding and embracing our cultural heritage.
Speaking before members of the Filipino community in Osaka, the President recognized the immense contributions and sacrifices of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), including those in Japan.
He acknowledged their role in sustaining the strong and evolving relationship between the Philippines and Japan, which is entering the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2026
“I encourage you to learn our language, Filipino. I speak to all our kababayans, especially our youth, who play a part in our dynamic and enduring ties with Japan. Through you, we continue to write new pages in the history of the relations between our two countries. Through you, the spirit of friendship with our Japanese friends continues to thrive,” he said.
“We have every chance, through you, to build even stronger connections in shared values for a mutually stable, secure, and prosperous relationship between our two countries. This is why I hope you will join me and the Philippine nation in helping our community here in Japan to grow even more in love with the Philippines, to learn and embrace fully your Filipino identity, to support our nation’s aspirations for unity, for peace, and for prosperity,” he added.
He also asked them to help honor the Filipino heroes and forefathers by building a Bagong Pilipinas that is worthy of their sacrifices, and the freedom that everyone currently enjoys.
“It is our duty to build a future that is worthy of all. A nation that is forged in courage, hope, and love — a New Philippines,” he said.
The President was on a four-day working visit to Osaka, Japan from June 19 to 22 where he attended the World exposition 2025 in Osaka and had meetings with several business groups and potential investors.
Marcos met with executives from the tourism industry, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) which has collaborated with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and contributed in the launch of the Philippines’ first microsatellites and university-built nanosatellites, and the Kanadevia Corporation which in planning to invest in the Manila Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Project, among others.
The President, in addressing the Filipino community, reaffirmed his administration’s support to the OFWs by ensuring and improving services that protect their welfare, ease their travel experience, and promote the welfare of their families including those who are left in the Philippines.
“I recognize the weight of your sacrifice, and the strength it takes to provide for your families from afar. That is why we will never tire of honoring you and finding ways to improve your lives. You are at the heart of our government’s efforts and you deserve not only our gratitude, but our full support as well,” he said.
Marcos said the government strives to make overseas employment safer and more dignified, while also providing sustainable reintegration options for OFWs who wish to return to the Philippines.
He said the government is also continuously working on improving the travel experience in the country by ensuring comfortable and dignified travel experiences through improved and better airport services such as the establishment of the OFW Lounge exclusively for migrant workers.
He said the Philippines also continues to forge stronger bilateral labor agreements with the other countries to ensure the safe, humane, and fair working conditions for Filipino workers wherever they are.
Also present during the event were First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and key members of the Marcos Cabinet, including Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, as well as Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano and Consul General Voltaire Mauricio.
