PJS Medal of Merit
The Philippines-Japan Society Medal of Merit is the highest award within the Society’s gift to confer upon Filipino and Japanese nationals who have significantly contributed to nation-building in terms of the promotion of friendship, mutual benefit, mutual respect and closer, deeper, stronger relations between the two countries.
The Medal is made of gold-plated metal fashioned in the shape of a sun with eight rays measuring 5.5 cm in diameter with a thickness of 4 mm. A ruby stone is embedded in the middle of the medal. The Citation, on the other hand, is chemically etched on a 12 x 12-inch steel plate electroplated to a shiny copper finish, mounted on a wooden frame with narra finish.
The Society conferred its first Medal of Merit in 1979 and every year thereafter, the Medal has been given alternately to a Filipino or Japanese individual.
As of 2019, there have been 42 awardees – 21 Filipinos and 21 Japanese. These awardees are prominent business leaders and pioneers, high government officials, diplomats, and civil society organizations. All share a distinct personal contribution to the promotion of Philippines-Japan relations over the last 40 years.
The Roster of Awardees as of August 2019 is as follows:
MEDAL OF MERIT
AWARDEES
JOSE G. SANVICTORES
Pre-War and Wartime Civil Servant
Pioneering Entrepreneur, Forester and Agriculturist
1st Awardee (1979)
NOBUSUKE KISHI
Former Prime Minister of Japan
2nd Awardee (1980)
JOSE B. LAUREL, JR.
Former Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives
3rd Awardee (1981)
TAKEO FUKUDA
Former Prime Minister of Japan
4th Awardee (1982)
VICENTE T. PATERNO
Former Senator of the Republic of the Philippines
Former Secretary of Trade & Industry and Public Works & Highways
5th Awardee (1983)
SHIGEO NAGANO
Former President, Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
President, Japan Iron and Steel Federation
6th Awardee (1984)
DAVID SYCIP
Chairman, Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee
President, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
7th Awardee (1985)
TOSHIO URABE
Former Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines
8th Awardee (1986)
JOSE S. LAUREL III
Former Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan
Founder and Chairman Emeritus, The Philippines-Japan Society
9th Awardee (1987)
NOBORU GOTOH
Former President, The Tokyu Group
Former President, Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
10th Awardee (1988)
BENJAMIN F. SANVICTORES
Deputy Chief of the Philippine Mission in Japan
Executive Trustee, The Philippines-Japan Friendship Foundation
11th Awardee (1989)
ZENKO SUZUKI
Former Prime Minister of Japan
12th Awardee (1990)
VICTOR A. LIM
Former President, The Philippines-Japan Society, Inc.
13th Awardee (1991)
LEOCADIO DE ASIS
Former President, Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni
Founding Governor, ASEAN Council of Japan Alumni
14th Awardee (1993)
KIYOSHI OSAWA
Board Counsellor, Yusen Air and Sea Service
15th Awardee (1994)
ALFONSO T. YUCHENGCO
Former Ambassador of the Philippines
to the People’s Republic of China and to Japan
16th Awardee (1995)
NOBORU TAKESHITA
Former Prime Minister of Japan
17th Awardee (1996)
DOMINGO L. SIAZON, JR.
Former Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan
Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines
18th Awardee (1997)
KAZUO HARUNA
Senior Corporate Advisor, Marubeni Corporation
Chairman, Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee
19th Awardee (1998)
SHINROKU MOROHASHI
Chairman, Mitsubishi Corporation
Co-Chairman, Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee
20th Awardee (1998)
SALVADOR H. LAUREL
Former Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines
21st Awardee (1999)
KIYOSHI SUMIYA
Former Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines
22nd Awardee (2000)
CESAR E.A. VIRATA
Former Prime Minister of the Republic of the Philippines
23rd Awardee (2001)
THE PHILIPPINE SOCIETY OF JAPAN
24th Awardee (2002)
ENRIQUE EMILIO JACOBO ZOBEL OLGADO
Former Chairman, The Ayala Group
25th Awardee (2003)
MASAJURO SHIOKAWA
Former Minister of Parliament
President, Toyo University
26th Awardee (2004)
JOSEPH K.H. UY
Chairman of the Board, Trans-World Trading Co., Inc.
Trustee, Philippines-Japan Friendship Foundation, Inc.
27th Awardee (2005)
TSUNEO TANAKA
Former Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines
28th Awardee (2006)
VIRGILIO DE LOS SANTOS
Chairman, Board of Trustees, University of Manila
Former President, Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni
29th Awardee (2007)
THE PAG-ASA GROUP, JAPAN
Represented by Madame Masako Sumiya
30th Awardee (2008)
FELICIANO L. TORRES
President, Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing, Inc.
31st Awardee (2009)
SHOICHIRO TOYODA
Honorary Chairman, Toyota Motor Corporation
32nd Awardee (2010)
GEORGE S.K. TY
Chairman, Metrobank Group of Companies
33rd Awardee (2011)
THOMAS G. AQUINO
Chairman, Information Capital Technology Ventures, Inc.
Former Senior Undersecretary of the Philippines Department of Trade and Industry
34th Awardee (2012)
TOHRU TSUJI
Honorary Corporate Advisor, Marubeni Corporation
35th Awardee (2013)
MIKIO SASAKI
Former Chairman, Mitsubishi Corporation
35th Awardee (2013)
LILIA B. DE LIMA
Director General, Philippine Economic Zone Authority
36th Awardee (2014)
MAKOTO KATSURA
Former Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines
37th Awardee (2015)
MANUEL M. LOPEZ
Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan
38th Awardee (2016)
YASUO FUKUDA
Former Prime Minister of Japan
39th Awardee (2017)
TOMAS I. ALCANTARA
President, Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc.
40th Awardee (2018)
JAPAN FOUNDATION
represented by Mr. Tomoyuki Sakurai, Executive Vice President
41st Awardee (2019)
JOSE C. LAUREL V
Former Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan
42nd Awardee (2023)