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OPENING REMARKS

43^rd Philippines-Japan Friendship Celebration and Awards Ceremony

Today we are privileged to bestow posthumously the Medal of Merit of the Philippines Japan Society to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He was the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Japan having served for almost nine years.  Tragically, he was shot on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan and expired shortly thereafter.

His last visit to the Philippines was in January 12, 2017 in Malacañang where the Japan Philippines Summit Meeting was held.  Prime Minister Abe was the first foreign head of state to visit President Rodrigo R. Duterte after the latter’s election in 2016. Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe even flew down to Davao and was received by President Duterte in his home in Davao City.

The significance of Prime Minister Abe’s visit is that it catalyzed a slew of infrastructure projects that are now being built such as the Metro Manila Subway Project and the North Railway Project that will provide train service from Manila to Clark City in Pampanga to name a few.  Official Development Assistance or ODA Projects have been actively pursued by Japan and have been consistently done throughout the ASEAN.  The objective of Japan is to sustain its longstanding foreign policy of “heart to heart relations” as espoused by Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda in August of 1977 in Manila.  Through the years, Japan has followed the Fukuda doctrine and successfully paved the way for stronger ties with the ASEAN.

While we do honor to the memory of Prime Minister Abe, it is worth reminiscing his visit to the Philippine in July 28, 2013.  He had indicated his desire through the Embassy of Japan to join the 35^th Philippines-Japan Celebration.  Naturally, we happily obliged the Prime Minister’s request. During his short speech, he shared with us his dream to become an awardee of the Philippines Japan Society just like his grandfather, Prime Nobusuke Kishi, who was the first Japanese awardee of the Philippines Japan Society in1980.

The Society had not forgotten that short but momentous speech.  So earlier this year, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved to award posthumously Prime Minister Shinzo the Medal of Merit for his outstanding contributions to the strong bilateral relations between Japan and Philippines.  Through the hard work of his predecessors and his own leadership, the Philippines and Japan are now enjoying the golden age of diplomatic as well as trade relations.

It is therefore with great affection and humility that we welcome Madame Akie Abe for today’s celebration.  I wish to thank our membership, the Japanese Association of Manila, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippines and the Embassy of Japan for supporting today’s event.  Lest I forget, I would like to recognize our staff at the Philippines Japan Friendship Foundation for their hard work in making this celebration a successful one.

And finally, I would like to recognize our guests from the Philippine Society of Japan who flew all the way from Japan to participate in this important occasion.

To all of our other guests and friends, thank you for taking time to be with us, you honor us with your presence.

Maraming Salamat

Mabuhay ang Samahan ng Pilipinas at ng Hapon!

Francis C. Laurel

President, The Philippines-Japan Society, Inc.