Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri Leads Senate Delegation on an Official Visit to Japan 03-05 April 2023
Senate President Zubiri, Senate delegation and Ambassador-designate Mylene Garcia-Albano with Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio at the Prime Minister’s Office
Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri led an 11-person Senate team on an official visit to Tokyo on 03-05 April 2023. Members of his delegation were Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito, Chairman of the Committee on Local Government, Deputy Majority Leader Senator Mark Villar, Chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Senator Sonny Angara, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Senator Imee Marcos, Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Pia Cayetano, Chairperson of the Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation and Futures Thinking, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, Senator Grace Poe, Chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, Senator Nancy Binay, Chairperson of the Committee on Tourism, Senator Manuel Lito Lapid, Chairman of the Committee on Games and Amusement.
They paid a courtesy call on Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, House of Councillors President OTSUJI Hidehisa, House of Representatives Speaker HOSODA Hiroyuki. They met with officials of the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League, under the leadership of The Honorable MORIYAMA Hiroshi, and had brief but substantive exchanges with Minister of Economy and Industry NISHIMURA Yasutoshi, also a member of the JPPFL.
Senate delegation and Amb. Garcia-Albano with House of Councillors President Hon. Otsuji (to the left of Senate President Zubiri) and Hon. Nagahama (to the right of Senate President) at the House of Councillors Plenary Hall
Senate delegation and Amb. Garcia-Albano with House of Representatives Speaker Hon. Hosoda at the Speaker’s Residence
In all his meetings, Senate President Zubiri conveyed the importance that the Philippines attaches to its Strategic Partnership with Japan, recognizing Japan as “the best friend of the Philippines in the region”. He thanked Japan for its abiding engagement with and support for the Philippines, especially in helping the country strengthen its maritime domain awareness and in the modernization of the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He thanked Japan for its expression of support for the Arbitral Award. He extended the gratitude of the Senate and the Filipino people for the rapid and effective assistance Japan provided to help mitigate the oil spill in Mindoro, and acknowledged how this helped the early location of the sunken vessel.
Senate President Zubiri and Senate delegation meet with HOC President Hon. Otsuji
Senate President Zubiri meets with HOR Speaker Hon. Hosoda
He affirmed his determination to pursue more active parliamentary exchanges, starting with the revival of the Philippines-Japan Parliamentary Association (PJPA). He invited Japanese Diet members and officials to the Philippines for the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum which the country is hosting in November.
Senate delegation and Amb. Garcia-Albano with JPPFL Chairman Hon. Moriyama and JPPFL officials
Senate President Zubiri presents a gift to JPPFL Chairman Hon. Moriyama
He briefed his Parliamentary counterparts on the legislature’s concurrence with the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), in support of economic improvements post-COVID and President Marcos’ pledge to the business sector whom he met last February.
In the Senate’s convivial and substantive exchanges with Hon. MORIYAMA Hiroshi and members of the JPPFL, Senate President Zubiri expressed his conviction that the Philippines and Japan have shared interests and values, and thanked Japan for its strategic support for the Coast Guard and the navy. He further encouraged the JPPFL members to increase trade and tourism exchanges between the two countries. Senator Marcos urged more support for the Philippines’ defense and law enforcement sectors in Japan’s current fiscal year, and encouraged Japan to look into opportunities in the Philippines for green metals as part of Japan’s industrial supply chain in this new era of green energy. After noting the important suggestions put forward by all members of the Senate delegation, Chairman Moriyama presented the Senate President with a pair of wooden chopsticks, whose noble material has been grown in Japan for over a thousand years, and which he said symbolized his hope that Japan-Philippines friendship would endure for a thousand years.
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Nishimura, member of the JPPFL, extends his greetings to the Senate President and delegation.
In exchanges between parliamentary counterparts, Philippine Senators and Diet members shared some best practices in governance, policy-making, and other areas of interest, with Majority leader Senator Villanueva discussing some economic and social opportunities in the Philippines.
(Above right) HOC President Hon. Otsuji shows Senate President the HOC plenary systems, while Senators Villanueva and Marcos have exchanges with METI Minister Nishimura during the JPPFL-hosted lunch for the Senate delegation (Above left and below)
In the Senate’s meeting with PM Kishida, Senate President Zubiri reiterated to PM Kishida the invitation to visit the Philippines, earlier extended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited Japan in February 2023.
