Philippine Ambassador to Japan Engages DLSU Students on PH Priorities and Filipino Community in Japan
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (center) welcomed students from the De La Salle University (DLSU) Manila – College of Liberal Arts during the latter’s courtesy call on 20 November 2025. Also in the photo are First Secretary and Consul Fatima G. Quintin (leftmost); Ms. Bernadette S. Hieida, Foreign Language Coordinator of DLSU-Manila’s Department of International Studies (8th from right); and Ms. Yoko Yamamura (rightmost) and Ms. Yuriko Morimoto (2nd from left) of the Kamenori Foundation.
TOKYO, 29 November 2025 – Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano engaged the visiting students of De La Salle University (DLSU) Manila – College of Liberal Arts in an extensive discussion on the Philippine Embassy’s services and priorities in Japan, particularly on promoting Philippine agricultural products and creative industries, tourism, as well as investment generation, during the delegation’s courtesy call on 20 November 2025.
The students, who are taking up international studies with minor studies in Japan, embarked on a study tour in Japan on 16-23 November 2025 under a program organized by Kamenori Foundation. The study tour included workshops on Japanese culture and field trips, including a visit to the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
“One of the foundations of Philippines-Japan bilateral relations is people-to-people ties, and the study tour is a platform to deepen these ties, especially in the run up to the 70th anniversary of the normalization of Philippines-Japan diplomatic relations in 2026. I hope you can help promote this milestone celebration, and continue to be envoys of cultural understanding, and Philippines-Japan friendship,” underscored Ambassador Garcia-Albano during the courtesy call.
During the discussions, the students presented their research work on Philippines-Japan bilateral relations, Japanese policy perspectives and new advances in Japan. Ambassador Garcia-Albano encouraged them to share their outputs to the Embassy as contributions to its knowledge management system.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (center) informed the students from the De La Salle University (DLSU) Manila – College of Liberal Arts of the Philippine Embassy’s priority programs during the latter’s courtesy call on 20 November 2025.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano also informed the students of the Embassy’s initiatives in providing interventions and capacity building programs to address pressing issues among Filipinos in Japan, especially isolation and loneliness, as many are away from their families and loved ones in the Philippines. She invited the students to take part in these programs, even remotely from the Philippines, as a way of contributing to community support and engagement.
The students were accompanied by Ms. Bernadette S. Hieida, Foreign Language Coordinator of DLSU-Manila’s Department of International Studies; and Ms. Yoko Yamamura and Ms. Yuriko Morimoto of the Kamenori Foundation, a Japan-based organization promoting exchanges among young people in Japan and the Asia-Oceania region.
