Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez Delivers a Lecture on the Friendship between President Manuel A. Roxas and Colonel Nobuhiko Jinbo
[left photo] His Excellency Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez delivers his lecture to residents of Takahata Town in Yamagata Prefecture, hometown of Colonel Nobuhiko Jinbo; [right photo] The Ambassador poses with students of Takahata Town.
18 November 2014 – Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez delivered a presentation on the story of friendship between President Manuel A. Roxas and Colonel Nobuhiko Jinbo to a Japanese audience and some members of the Filipino community in Takahata Town, Yamagata Prefecture, on 15 November 2014 upon the invitation of the Takahata International Association.
The Takahata International Association organized the lecture for the residents of Takahata which is the hometown of Colonel Jinbo. Relatives of Colonel Jinbo were also present during the lecture.
Little is known about the story of friendship between President Roxas and Colonel Jinbo. The Ambassador’s account of how Colonel Jinbo and President Roxas saved each other’s life during the time of the second World War provided an interesting piece of history shared between the Philippines and Japan. Their story impressed on the audience that respect, compassion, and gratitude know no boundaries especially in times of hardship and war.
The Ambassador also stressed the importance of Philippine-Japan relations. Cooperation between the two countries is at its peak today, highlighted by the immediate support and assistance provided by both countries during times of calamities. The Ambassador also encouraged the Japanese audience to participate in people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and Japan as a means to generate deeper friendship and understanding between Filipinos and Japanese.
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