His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III;
His Excellency Voltaire T. Gazmin, Secretary of National Defense;
His Excellency Armin Luistro, Secretary of Department of Education;
His Excellency Harry K. Thomas Jr, Ambassador of the United States of America;
Distinguished Veterans and Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen:
First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the heartfelt messages of sympathies and condolences which H.E. the President and many people of the Philippines have extended to the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the Northeastern part of Japan last March.
Today, for the fourth time as Ambassador of Japan , I am deeply honor ed to join you all in the commemoration of this year's Araw ng Kagitingan . As I stand before this venerable shrine on Mount Samat, let me 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 post-war Japan has firmly resolved to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world.
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 fields too, we, along with the United States, are the two largest partners for the Philippines.
When H.E. the President and H.E. Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan held the first meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2010, the two leaders confirmed their determination to further strengthen bilateral relations to foster a strategic partnership for the future.
Japan's deep commitment to peace and development in Mindanao has been unchanged. 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 extension of International Monitoring Team (IMT) operations in the conflict-affected areas of Mindanao and the deployment of two Japanese development experts to the IMT to continue their work. Two weeks ago, I signed nine grant contracts for various social development projects under the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) in conflict affected area in Mindanao. Japan also supports the progress of the peace talks as a member of the International Contact Group (ICG).
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