His Excellency Vice President Noli De Castro;
His Excellency Norberto B. Gonzales, Secretary of National Defense;
Honorable Leslie A. Bassett, Charge d' Affairs, Embassy of the United States of America;
Distinguished Veterans and Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great honor for me to join you all today in the commemoration of this year's Araw ng Kagitingan for the third time as Ambassador of Japan. As I stand before this venerable shrine on Mount Samat, let me first of all reiterate my greatest tribute to all those who fought and fell, and my heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse over the damages caused by the Japanese military in the Philippines during World War II, including the tragic Bataan death march.
Let me also state that after the war, Japan was reborn as a peace-loving nation, and that post-war Japan has firmly resolved to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world, without allowing the terrible lessons of the war to erode.
In this context, I am deeply moved by the Filipino people's noble spirit of reconciliation and sense of fairness. Indeed, the Filipino people have been appreciating Japan as we are today – a peace-loving nation that shares the fundamental values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights. The Filipino people have also been taking a future-oriented attitude with a view to deepening the friendly relations between our two countries.
On our part, we have been trying our best to assist the Philippines's nation-building efforts as the largest donor of ODA. In trade and investment field s too, we are one of the largest partners for the Philippines. I am pleased to note that the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) which came into effect in December 2008 started bringing mutually beneficial results to the both peoples.
Further, during the official visit of H.E. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Tokyo in June 2009, it was agreed at the Summit meeting to foster a “Strategic Partnership for the Future” between our two countries.
Japan's deep commitment to peace and development in Mindanao has been further enhanced. The recent resumption of official peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is a most welcome development. It has made possible the resumption of International Monitoring Team (IMT) operations in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao and the redeployment of two Japanese development experts to the IMT to continue their work on various projects. Japan also continues to work on various projects under the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiative for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD), and supports the progress of the peace talks as a member of the International Contact Group (ICG).
Japan also extended emergency assistance to the Philippines in the wake of the devastating tropical storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng that hit the country in September and October 2009.
Despite the adverse effects of the ongoing global economic crisis on our respective economies, Japan reaffirms anew its unwavering support for the Philippines's efforts to attain peace and prosperity, working together with like-minded countries such as the United States. I am confident that by working more closely together as strategic partners, we will realize our common goals and ultimately bring about peace and prosperity for all.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Embassy of Japan in the Philippines