From leftmost: Commercial Attaché Froilan Pamintuan, Second Secretary Hans Siriban, MOFA Deputy Director Yoshihisa Ishikawa, Ambassador Manuel Lopez, AEON Co. Ltd and AEON 1% Club Chairman of the Board Naoki Hayashi, AEON Credit Service Co. Ltd. President Kazuhide Kamitani, MINISTOP Director and Managing Executive Officer Akihiko Maeda, and Tourism Attaché Valentino Cabansag

05 December 2013-The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo received officials from AEON Co. Ltd who conveyed that ¥100 million (approximately PHP 43 million) in voluntary cash donation will be given as additional humanitarian assistance for those affected by super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in the Philippines.

AEON Co. Ltd. earlier announced its initial voluntary cash donation of ¥10 million last 11 November 2013 at the Philippine Embassy. In total, the AEON Group will donate ¥110 million for those affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

Along with some Embassy officials, Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez met with AEON Co. Ltd and AEON 1% Club Chairman of the Board, Naoki Hayashi, AEON Credit Service Co. Ltd. President Kazuhide Kamitani, and MINISTOP Director and Managing Executive Officer Akihiko Maeda and other AEON Group officials.

Chairman Naoki Hayashi reiterated his deep condolences and solidarity with the Philippines, especially to those in the central regions, for the unprecedented damage and loss of lives brought about by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). He said that this most recent cash donation was a result of a combination of voluntary fundraising activities done among the customers of the various AEON Group companies last 13-24 November 2013 which collected approximately ¥48 million. The 8,000 employees and management of the 28 member companies of AEON Co. Ltd. decided to match the customer donations and eventually added ¥52 million to the customer donations. Chairman Hayashi hoped that the cash donation would help provide relief and assist in the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas.

Deputy Director Yoshihisa Ishikawa of the Second Southeast Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed his appreciation for the efforts of the Japanese private sector to complement the efforts of the Japanese government in providing humanitarian assistance to the Philippines after typhoon Yolanda struck.

Japan has already dispatched three disaster relief medical teams, disaster relief Self-Defense Forces units, and disaster relief expert teams to the affected areas in central Philippines. Todate, approximately US$56 million in financial and humanitarian assistance have been provided in total in form of grant aid, emergency relief goods, assistance through Japanese NGOs, and the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) of Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Ambassador Lopez expressed his deep appreciation to Chairman Hayashi and the AEON Group for giving the largest cash donation so far for the victims of typhoon Yolanda through the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo. He assured Chairman Hayashi that AEON Group’s generous donation will help sustain the immediate and long-term relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts of the Philippine government.

He also expressed his gratitude for AEON Group for their constant support for and solidarity with the Filipino people in times of crises. AEON Group has always been one of the first Japanese corporations to contribute to Philippine disaster relief efforts. AEON Co. Ltd has given ¥10 million in cash donations in 2009 and 2011 for Typhoons Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) and Sendong (international name: Washi) and ¥3 million in 2012 for Typhoon Pablo (international name: Bopha) respectively.

Ambassador Lopez also underscored Japan’s immediate and timely response and assistance for the Philippines from the public and private sectors in the wake of super typhoon Yolanda.END

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