Good morning, everyone. [Please take your seats.]

I’d like to greet Vice President and the Secretary of Education Sara Duterte; former President, Senior Deputy Speaker, our what I keep calling our secret weapon on all these trips, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; the Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez; and the members of the Cabinet who are all here today; the AFP Chief of Staff General Andy Centino; the PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu; and First Lady Imelda – ah Imelda… [laughter] [inaudible]

… and again in 1977, broadening and deepening our bilateral ties and laying the groundwork  for the eventual establishment of our
Strategic Partnership.

My bilateral visit to Japan is essential. It is part of a larger foreign policy agenda to forge closer political ties, stronger defense and security cooperation, as well as lasting economic partnerships with major countries in the region amid a challenging global environment.

This visit also – we will seek to further strengthen the bonds of friendship with a close neighbor, like-minded and future-oriented like us
in many ways, and a most reliable partner in times of both crises and of prosperity.

During my trip, I hope to harness the positive trajectory of our relationship with Japan in all of our enriching engagements.
This administration is keen on working closely with Japan in forging stability and dynamism into our bilateral relations and bringing our Strategic Partnership to greater heights.

I will be actively cultivating collaboration in priority areas that we have identified. The areas of agriculture, renewable energy, digital transformation, infrastructure, defense and security, and other areas where future synergies and complementary interests converge
with those of Japan.  I believe that we are stronger together when we stand steadfast and face the future with a transformative agenda in mind.

  The First Lady and I will have the honor of having an Imperial Audience with Their Majesties, The Emperor and the Empress of Japan. I will also invite them to visit the Philippines to be welcomed by the warm hospitality of Filipinos who have endeared Japan and Japanese culture in their hearts.

During my visit, I will also be meeting with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to take stock of our bilateral relations and regional cooperation in a broad range of engagements, from our security and economic relations of our two countries’ and our continued commitment to mutual peace and prosperity.

The Prime Minister and I expect to witness the signing and exchange of key agreements in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, infrastructure, agriculture, and digital cooperation. Many of these MOUs and MOAs and other documents that we will be witnessing are in fact the product of our meetings in New York and also in APEC.

Japan has been a major bilateral trade and official development partner,
consistent in its commitment to uphold the same values aligned with our
economic and development priorities. Japan is also the first country which signed a bilateral — FTA or free trade agreement with the Philippines through the PH-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. In this partnership of possibilities, I believe that we can further expand our trade in goods and services, as well as in investments.

As in my other bilateral visits, I will hold meetings with Japan’s business leaders to promote trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines. In these meetings, I shall be joined by my economic team and key private sector representatives who have been and will be continuing – continuously our partners in growing our economy.

I look forward to my meeting with the large Filipino diaspora in Japan,
who have been contributing, through their hard work and positive disposition, in building a better Philippines though they are far away through all the assistance that they have been giving to the Philippines for many, many years now.

I look forward to bringing home – as they say, bringing home more of these agreements that will be of benefit to the transformation of our economy and to be able to – to mitigate some of the challenges that we are facing in the new global economy.

Thank you very much. Maraming salamat po at magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat.

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