A golden age in PH-Japan relations

NEW Emperor Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in Tokyo on May 1 to begin the Reiwa Era in Japan. The 30 years of the previous Heisei Era ended when Emperor Akihito abdicated in favor of his son.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr., and other Philippine officials joined Ambassador Koji Haneda in ceremonies at the embassy in Makati last Tuesday.

“We share the Japanese people’s hope that the Reiwa Era heralds a time of harmony for Japan and our region,” Secretary Locsin said. “On the bilateral front, we are confident that the Reiwa Era will impart a stronger impetus to our strategic partnership. Japan has an im­portant place in our pantheon of real friends. It is, in the words of His Excellency, President Rodrigo Duterte, ‘a friend closer than a brother’.”

Ambassador Haneda responded that in the 30 years of the Heisei Era, the relations be­tween Japan and the Philippines have immensely strengthened. “We are now enjoying the golden age of our strategic partnership,” he said.

Japan has long been our closest diplomatic ally in our part of the world, along with our continuing close ties with the United States. Japan is today the biggest source of foreign funding for projects, with loans and grants amounting to $5.98 billion in 2018, accounting for 41 percent of our country’s total Official Development Assistance (ODA) from other countries of the world.

Japan assumed this lion’s share of our ODA when it extended financing – a $50 billion loan – for the 25-kilometer Metro Manila subway which will soon be built from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City. The subway will be built with Japanese technology, drawing from Japan’s vast experience in subway construction.

Japan also granted funding recently for the North-South Commuter Railway Extension project, the New Bohol Airport construction and environmental protection project, and the new Metro Rail Transit Line 3 rehabilitation project.

Last March, Japan and the Philippines signed a memorandum of cooperation for the re­cruitment and protection of Filipino workers as Japan opened its doors to over 350,000 foreign workers. At least 30 percent of these workers which will come from the Philippines. They will join some 280,000 Filipinos already working in Japan.

We laud this golden age in our relations with Japan, arising from our close diplomatic ties, our alliance in world affairs, and Japan’s generous aid to our burgeoning economic projects. And we join in hailing the start of the new Japan’s Reiwa Era under new Emperor Naruhito.