PH Ambassador Highlights State Visit, PH-JP Friendship and Women Empowerment During Courtesy Call By Miriam College Grade School
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (3rd from right, seated) with the sixth grade students and faculty members from Miriam College Grade School (MCGS) led by their principal, Ms. Kristine Marie Lesaca-Saludez (3rd from left, seated), at the Philippine Embassy in Japan during the latter’s courtesy call on 02 June 2026.
TOKYO, 09 June 2026 – Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano welcomed sixth-grade students and faculty members of Miriam College Grade School (MCGS) led by their principal, Ms. Kristine Marie Lesaca-Saludez, during their courtesy call at the Philippine Embassy in Japan on 02 June 2026.
During the visit, Ambassador Garcia-Albano shared highlights of the recent State Visit to Japan of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on 26-29 May 2026, including the welcome ceremony and State Banquet hosted by Their Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, extensive engagements with the Japanese business sector, the President’s address before the National Diet of Japan – a rare honor bestowed to foreign leaders – and his summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano further underscored the landmark outcomes of the State Visit, most notably the elevation of Philippines-Japan bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Philippines’ first such partnership with any country, in time for the 70th Anniversary of the Normalization of Philippines-Japan Diplomatic Relations this year.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano highlights the results of the State Visit to Japan of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on 26-29 May 2026, the work of the Philippine Embassy, and the 70th Anniversary of the Normalization of Philippines-Japan Diplomatic Relations during the courtesy call of the MCGS students and faculty members.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano also briefed the MCGS delegation on the work of the Embassy which is anchored on the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy, namely, national security, economic diplomacy, and the promotion and protection of the welfare of overseas Filipinos. She also highlighted the Embassy’s activities in celebration of the 70th milestone anniversary spanning the political, economic and cultural spheres.
As the first Filipino woman ambassador to Japan, Ambassador Garcia-Albano noted that the Embassy is actively engaging women ambassadors and working with Japanese legislators to advance women empowerment, particularly on increasing the participation of women in government and promoting diversity in the workplace.
The MCGS delegation expressed its appreciation for the warm welcome extended by Ambassador Garcia-Albano and the Embassy personnel, describing the occasion as a memorable part of the school’s inaugural cultural trip in Japan. The Embassy also conducted a tour of Sentro Rizal-Tokyo for the students and faculty members.
As part of its support for MCGC, the Embassy assisted the delegation in arranging a visit on 04 June 2026 to the Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin Primary School – a private, all-girls school similar to MCGS.
The MCGS delegation hands over a token of appreciation to Ambassador Garcia-Albano.
The MCGS visit in Tokyo was organized in celebration of the 100th year of Maryknoll education in the Philippines, under its program Girls’ Adventures in Learning and Action (GALA), which is a series of immersive educational experiences that bring the school’s fourth- to sixth-grade students to various provinces in the Philippines and other countries for cultural exchange activities.
