6

'ltlx.'or'l&!lI3E;.'.E
Editorial Tuesday, May2l ,2019

.
'l
I

in PH-Japan relations
T. ',!f'EW Emperor Naruhito ascended billion in 2018, accounting for 41 percent of
$5.98
I \ I to the Chrysanthemum Throne in our country's total Official Development Assis-
| \l totryo on May I to begin the Reiwa tance (ODA) from other countries of the world.
-. ! Era in Japan, The 30 years of the
previous Heisei
Japan assumed this lion's share of our ODA
Era ended whin Emperor when it.extended financing - a g50 billion loan
Akihito abdicated in favor of his son. - for the 25-kilomefer Metro Manila subwav
Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Secre- which will soon be b_uilt from Mindanao Avenul
tary ofl'oreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr.; and in Quezon City to the NinoyAquino Irtternational
other Philippine officials joined Ambassador Koji Airport in Pasay City. The subway will be built
Haneda in ceremonies at the embassv in Makati with Japanese technologr, drawing from Japan,s
last TLresday. vast experience in subway construction. .
"\rye share the Japanese people,s hope that Japan also granted funding recen y for the
the Reiwa Era heralds a time of harmony for North-South Commuter Railway Extension
Japan and our region," Secretary Locsin iaid. project, the Ne\ry Bohol Airport construction
"On the bilateral front, we are conlident that the and environmental protection project, and the
Reiwa Era will impart a stronger impetus to our new Metro Rail TYansit Line B rehabilitation
strategic partnership. Japan has an important project.
. place in our pantheon of real friends. It is, in
Last March. Japan and the Philippines signed
the words of His Excellency, president Rodrigo a memorandum of cooperation for the recruit-
Duterte, 'a friend closer than a brother.,,' ment and protection oI Filipino workers as Japan
Ambassador Ha,neda responded that in the l0 opened its doors to over 950,000 foreign workers.
'years of the Heisei Era, the relations between At
least 30 percent of these Workers which will
Japan and the Philippines have immensely come from the Philippines. They will join some
strengthened. "We are now enjoying the golden 280,000 Filipinos already working in Japan.
age of our strategic partpership," he said. lVe laud this golden age in our relations with
Japan has long been our closest diplomatic Japan, arising from our close diplomatic
ties, oqr
ally in our part of the world, alohg with our con- alliance in world affairs. and Japan's generois
tinuing close ties with the United States. Japan aid to our burgeoning economic projects. And we l

is today the biggest source of foreign funding join in hailing the start ofthe new Japan,s Reiwa
tbr projects. with loans and grants amounting to Era under new Emperor Naruhito.
\ pAqe -ar