Japan Bank for International Cooperation President and CEO Hiroshi Watanabe presenting the samurai bonds token to Ambassador Domingo Siazon Jr. (left)

Tokyo, 11 June 2010. During the Philippine Independence Day Reception and Philippine Food Festival at the Hotel Okura on 10 June 2010, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) President and Chief Executive Officer Hiroshi Watanabe presented to Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo L. Siazon, Jr. a token commemorating the Philippine government’s issuance of samurai bonds in the amount of JPY 100 billion last March.

The Philippines’ issuance of the samurai bonds was made possible through JBIC’s Market Access Support Facility (MASF), which was established to assist Asian developing countries to access international capital markets following the global financial crisis of 2008.

Also present at the token awarding ceremony were representatives from the three Joint Lead Arrangers of the samurai bonds: Daiwa Securities Capital Markets Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. Ltd. and Nomura Securities Co. Ltd.

Mr. Watanabe said that the Philippines’ samurai bond issuance “is recognized as one of the most successful deals in the last fiscal year in the Tokyo market.” He acknowledged that one of the keys to this successful deal was the valuable support extended by the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo through Ambassador Siazon.

After receiving the token, Ambassador Siazon thanked the government of Japan and JBIC for recognizing the Embassy’s role in facilitating the issuance of the samurai bonds. The Ambassador expressed confidence that the government of Japan and JBIC will remain development partners of the Philippines in the years to come.

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