The Tokyo Consular And Administrative Corps (TCAC) Hosts Civil Protection Forum at the Philippine Embassy
Thirty eight (38) diplomatic officials representing twenty-five (25) Embassies in Tokyo attended a “Civil Protection Forum” hosted by the Tokyo Consular and Administrative Corps (TCAC) at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo on 20 October 2017 to discuss the system put in place by the Government of Japan to protect civilians against armed attacks and terrorism.
Japanese Government expert Mr. Hokuto Asano explains Japan’s civil protection system for armed attacks to the diplomatic community (Photo: Tokyo PE/Richard Roldan).
The forum was organized by the Philippine Embassy and TCAC in cooperation with the Japanese Government’s Cabinet Secretariat in response to recent developments in the Korean peninsula, in particular North Korea’s ongoing salvo of ballistic missile tests. The gathering intended to begin a conversation between the Japanese Government and the diplomatic community on the preparations in place for civilians, including the foreign community, for emergency situations brought on by armed attack and terrorism. The forum was also in keeping with the Philippine Embassy’s commitment to cooperate with other diplomatic missions and the Japanese Government towards safeguarding the welfare of its citizens. Filipinos constitute the 3rd largest group of foreign nationals residing in Japan.
Mr. Hokuta Asano, Unit Chief on National Security Affairs and Crisis Management of the Cabinet Secretariat, informed diplomats on Japan’s response system to armed attacks, from the issuance and dissemination of emergency alerts up to the process of civilian evacuation while Dr. David De Leon, Economic Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Panama and Governing Board Member of TCAC, served as the Master of Ceremonies.
Panamanian Economic Counsellor, Dr. David De Leon moderates the Forum. (Photo: Tokyo PE/Richard Roldan)
TCAC seeks to establish a network of management, administrative, and consular officers from diplomatic missions located in Tokyo. It also hopes to provide a forum to invite guest speakers, share best-practices, and discuss topics of interest related to consular concerns and administration in a diplomatic context.
Consul General Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo sits in the Governing Board of TCAC together with diplomatic counterparts from Canada, Panama and Turkey. Former members of the Governing Board are consular and diplomatic officials from the Embassies of Australia, Israel, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.
Consul General Marian Jocelyn Tirol-Ignacio presents a gift to Mr. Asano as a token of appreciation by TCAC for sharing his knowledge at the Forum. (Photo: Tokyo PE/Richard Roldan)
After the Civil Protection Forum, TCAC also hosted a seminar with representatives from Japan’s National Police Agency and Tokyo Metropolitan Government on 20 December 2017 at the Embassy of Belgium entitled “Road to the Olympics – 950 days to go” to discuss planning for the Olympics from a consular perspective.
