The 40th PHILJEC and JPECC joint meeting forges stronger Japan-Philippines relations for the next decade

April 15, 2024by secretariat in JPECC, PHILJEC tagged 40th PHILJEC-JPECC Joint Meeting, JOINT MEETING, JPECC

The Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc. (PHILJEC) and its counterpart, the Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee (JPECC), held their 40^th annual joint meeting on March 15, 2024, at the Grand Hyatt Manila, Bonifacio Global City. Themed “Stronger Philippines-Japan Relations in the Next 10 Years – Japan, a Strategic Partner of the Philippines”, the meeting was structured into four plenary sessions: (1) CREATE Law – Enhancing Philippine Competitiveness; (2) Large-Scale Food Production Imperatives for the Philippines; (3) Harnessing Filipino Human Resources; and (4) Triggers for Increased Japanese Investments in the Philippines. The Meeting was keynoted by BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona. Congratulatory Messages from President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio were also received.

The 40-man JPECC delegation was headed by Mr. HIRAKO Yuji, Vice-Chairman of ANA Holdings, Corporation. A day before the Meeting, PHILJEC arranged a courtesy call by JPECC on Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista and the Department of Transport Management Team composed of the Department’s five Undersecretaries.

In his welcome remarks, PHILJEC Chairman and Science Park of the Philippines Inc. President Richard I. Osmond said that “the friendship and business cooperation between Japan and the Philippines started way beyond 50 years ago” while noting that the two countries’ relations face “bigger challenges as the world is drastically changing in terms of its climate, economic and business landscape, and culture.” In his response, JPECC Chairman Hirako noted that there are now over 200,000 Filipinos working in Japan, a number that is expected to steadily increase in view of Japan’s ageing and declining population. He expressed hope that highly skilled Filipino professionals will gain meaningful, long-term employment in Japan.

PHILJEC was established 50 years ago (1974) and has since served as the primary counterpart of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and Keizai Douyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives). PHILJEC Chairman Osmond heads a 10-man Board assisted by his two co-Chairmen Alfred V. Ty, Chairman of Toyota Motor Philippines, Inc. and Ferdinand A. Ferrer, President CEO of Gruppo EMS and Chairman of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI).

Reference Materials

The PHILJEC-JPECC 39th Joint Meeting Successfully Held in Tokyo, Japan

March 27, 2023by secretariat in JPECC, PHILJEC tagged JOINT MEETING

On March 2, 2023, the Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc. (PHILJEC) and its counterpart, the Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee (JPECC), gathered at the Tokyo Kaikan for their 39th Joint Meeting. The 38th Joint Meeting in 2021 was conducted online due to the pandemic, thus making this year’s topic a very timely one: “Deepening the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership in post Covid-19.”

The event was attended by honorable and prestigious diplomats, representatives, and business figures from both Japan and the Philippines. These guests were warmly welcomed by Mr. Teruo Asada, Chairman of JPECC, and Mr. Gerard B. Sanvictores, Chairman of PHILJEC, in each of their opening remarks. The congratulatory message of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was read by H.E. Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines. The Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan, H.E. Mylene J. Garcia-Albano, delivered her message on behalf of the President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The Secretary-General of JPECC, Mr. Kazuto Sasaki, acted as the master of ceremonies. Ms. Maria Bernardita A. Mathay, Commercial Counsellor and Special Trade Representative of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC), delivered the keynote address on behalf of Secretary Alfredo Pascual of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Three plenary sessions were held this year. The first session was moderated by Ms. Yurika Suzuki, a Senior Research Fellow at the Development Studies Center, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO). It focused on “Trade and Investment Promotion” and was presented by the following speakers:

Mr. Yuji Munehiro – Executive Officer, Executive Manager, Global Business Promotions Dept., Global Business H.Q., Chodai Co., Ltd.
Mr. Richard Albert I. Osmond – President & COO, Science Park of the Philippines, Inc.; Co-Chairman, The Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc.

The second session was moderated by Mr. Hisashi Ichikawa, Chief Manager of the JTB Corporation and focused on the topic of “Tourism and Mutual Exchange” through the presentations of the following:

Dr. Maria Christina G. Aquino – Former Chairperson, Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc. (TIBFI)
Mr. Luis Alberto A. Anastacio – President and Chief Executive Officer, Servicio Filipino, Inc.

The last plenary session, which revolved around “Sustainability,” had Mr. Philip B. Sanvictores, Executive Chairman of Netmarks Philippines, Inc. as moderator, and the following as speakers:

Mr. Ferdinand A. Ferrer – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gruppo EMS Inc.; Trustee, The Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc. (PHILJEC)
Mr. Tsuyoshi Teragaki – Executivve Officer, COO, Forest Products Div., Marubeni Corporation
Mr. Hiromi Aoki – President, Suntech Co., Ltd.

Chairman Sanvictores and Chairman Asada each delivered their closing remarks after the plenary sessions and thanked all the participants for a meaningful Joint Meeting. The attendees then continued to enjoy a delicious welcome dinner hosted by JPECC.

On March 1st, the day prior to the Joint Meeting, a reception was organized by the Philippine Society of Japan (PSOJ) at the Sakura Room of the Imperial Hotel to welcome the PHILJEC delegates and Filipino members of the Philippines-Japan Society, Inc. (PJS). Mr. Mamoru Sekiyama, Chairman, and Mr. Makoto Katsura, President, respectively of PSOJ, welcomed the guests. Mr. Francis C. Laurel, President of PJS delivered a short speech at the event and H.E. Ambassador Mylene Garcia-Albano, who proposed a toast after the said speech.

To view the presentations, speeches, and documents relating to the 39th PHILJEC-JPECC meeting, please refer to our Resources below:

Program/Agenda

PHILJEC Chairman Mr. Gerard B. Sanvictores Welcome Remarks

JPECC Chairman Mr. Teruo Asada Welcome Remarks

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Congratulatory Message

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Congratulatory Message (signed message with official Photo)

Ambassador Mylene Garcia-Albano Congratulatory Message

Plenary Session Presentations

JPECC Welcome Dinner

Photo Album

Notice of Postponement of the 38th Joint Meeting of PHILJEC and JPECC

February 28, 2020by Philip Sanvictores in JPECC, PHILJEC

Due to the uncertainty of how the issues regarding COVID-19 might develop in the Philippines, PHILJEC would like to inform all interested participants that the 38^th Joint Meeting of PHILJEC and JPECC scheduled on March 12, 2020, at New World Hotel Makati is postponed.

Registration for the event is also temporarily suspended. The PHILJEC secretariat will provide updates regarding the new date of the Joint Meeting as soon as it’s available and process requests for registration fee and sponsorship refund.

Posted here is the formal announcement from PHILJEC Chairman, Mr. Gerard B. Sanvictores.

POSTPONED: PHILJEC & JPECC 38th Joint Meeting to Focus on Innovation and Digitalization

January 31, 2020by Philip Sanvictores in JPECC, PHILJEC

Notice of Postponement of the 38th Joint Meeting of PHILJEC and JPECC

The 38^th Joint Meeting of the Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc. (PHILJEC) and its Japanese counterpart, Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee (JPECC) will take place on March 12, 2020 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the New World Makati Hotel.

This year’s theme is “Promoting Philippines-Japan business through Innovation and Digitalization” and will welcome executives and representatives from top Filipino and Japanese companies. Hon. Ernesto M. Pernia, Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and Mr. Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation, are scheduled to deliver their keynote addresses during the event. It will be followed by a short Q&A.

There will be two plenary sessions focusing on different industries. Session 1, “Instituting Innovation in Industries,” will focus on logistics, finance, real estate, and retail. Session 2, “Promoting the Development of other Industries,” will focus on human resource training. It will also present updates on the development of smart cities like the New Clark City and will also tackle the issue of increasing the number and value of investments in manufacturing industries.

Guest speakers include, among others, Mr. Edwin Bautista, President, Union Bank; Mr. Nobuhide Hayashi, Senior Advisor, Mizuho Bank, Ltd.; and Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho, President & CEO, Magsaysay Group of Companies.

Visit The 38th Joint Meeting of the Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committees event website to register.

For more information or inquiries, you may contact the PHILJEC secretariat at (+632) 8892-4916 to 19 or at [email protected].

Resources:Event Program

JPECC and PHILJEC Hold 37th Joint Meeting Focused on Strategic Partnership

April 2, 2019by Philip Sanvictores in JPECC, PHILJEC

The Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee, Inc. (PHILJEC) met with its Japanese counterpart, Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee (JPECC) for their 37^th Joint Meeting held last March 13, 2019 at the prestigious Tokyo Kaikan. This year’s joint meeting highlighted the two nations’ strategic economic partnership in key industries specifically, tourism, transportation, human resource, construction, and manufacturing.

Mr. Shinya Katanozaka (JPECC) and Atty. Aniceto G. Saludo, Jr. (PHILJEC) Chairmaan and Co-Chairman respectively of the 37th Joint Meeting welcomed all participants with their opening remarks. Congratulatory messages from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Rodrigo R. Duterte of the Philippines were read by Ambassadors Koji Haneda and Jose C. Laurel V, respectively. The Philippines’ Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade were this year’s Keynote Speakers.

Two plenary sessions were held and attended by top executives from the Japanese and Filipino business communities. The first session focused on the theme “Tourism and Infrastructure Development” discussed by the following speakers:

Hon. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat – Secretary, Department of Tourism
Mr. Takashi Sasaki – Special Advisor, JTB Corp.
Mr. Isao Hosoya – Executive Officer, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
Atty. Michael Toledo – Managing Director, MVP Group of Companies
Mr. Roberto Jose L. Castillo – President and CEO, EEI Corporation

The second session focused on “Human Resource Development and Exchange” which featured the following speakers:

Ms. Doris Magsaysay-Ho – President & CEO, Magsaysay Group of Companies
Mr. Shuichiro Yoshida – Assistant General Manager, Marine Safety Division, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Mr. Kentaro Ozawa – Executive Director of International Business, Human Holdings Co., Ltd.
Atty. Villamor Ventura S. Plan – Deputy Administrator Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)

The PHILJEC Delegation consisted of 74 delegates, one of the largest ever assembled for a Joint Meeting held in Tokyo. The night before the Joint Meeting, the visiting Filipinos were invited to a Welcome Dinner for the Philippines-Japan Society at the Imperial Hotel hosted by the Philippine Society of Japan led by Mr. Mamoru Sekiyama, Chairman and Ambassador Makoto Katsura, President. On the other hand, JPECC hosted sumptuous lunch and dinner at the Tokyo Kaikan during the Joint Meeting.

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Resources:

37^th PHILJEC-JPECC Joint Meeting Program

Photo Album

Presentations of Speakers

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