Ambassador Garcia-Albano Meets with the President of the Philippine Society in Japan at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo
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Ambassador Garcia-Albano received Former Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, Hon. Makoto Katsura, President of the Philippine Society of Japan (PSOJ) to exchange ideas on cooperation between the Embassy and the PSOJ.
In June 2017, former Philippine Ambassador to Japan, Jose C. Laurel, V was welcomed by PSOJ in a reception for new Ambassadors where he delivered a speech.
PSOJ is a foundation established in Japan as early as 1935 for the enhancement of mutual understanding and friendship between the Japanese and Filipino people. Among the previous chairpersons of its Board were such prominent persons as Former Prime Ministers Nobusuke Kishi and Takeo Fukuda. The current Chairperson is Mr. Mamoru Sekiyama, Former Executive Vice President of Marubeni Corporation. Previous Presidents were former Ambassadors of Japan to the Philippines. Mr. Katsura, the current President, was posted to the Philippines between 2007 and 2011 as Ambassador of Japan.
Currently, PSOJ has 45 corporate members, and around 90 individual members. Corporate members include important Japanese companies having close business relations with the Philippines. As for individual members, almost all were posted in the Philippines as representatives of important Japanese companies, or of the Government of Japan which include seven (7) former Ambassadors.
PSOJ issues four (4) quarterlies a year containing reports of recent economic situations of the Philippines, as well as commentaries on important events such as SONA, reports of bilateral meetings between the Philippine President and Japan’s Prime Minister, etc. It also organizes four (4) lectures a year such as welcome receptions for new Ambassadors.
In June 2015, PSOJ co-organized with the Embassy of the Philippines, JETRO, Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee (JPECC) and ASEAN-Japan Centre, a “Philippine Investment Forum”, inviting President Benigno Aquino III as the main speaker. In June 2016, PSOJ co-organized with the Embassy of the Philippines, JETRO, etc. another “Philippine Economic Forum”, with President Rodrigo Duterte as the main speaker. In February 2017, PSOJ co-organized with the Embassy of the Philippines, JETRO, etc. another forum, inviting Secretaries Ramon Lopez, Arthur Tugade, Mark Villar, etc. as main speakers.
