00:00It is with great honor that I bring the warmest greetings from the Filipino people to the citadel of democracy
00:07and to the people of Japan.
00:11Seventy years have passed since our two countries decided to restore normal diplomatic relations,
00:18determined to write a new chapter in our shared history, anchored not in the shadows of the past, but in
00:26the promise of a partnership for the future.
00:28The relationship between the Philippines and Japan is, at its core, a story of transformation from reconciliation to deep mutual
00:40trust.
00:41After the war, President El Pidio Quirino chose the path of reconciliation, guided by the belief that, after all, destiny
00:53has made us neighbors.
00:54We made peace with the past, and so, on July 23, 1956, the Philippines and Japan normalized diplomatic relations.
01:05Japan's reparations became the starting point of a partnership that steadily built confidence and goodwill.
01:13The Official Development Act of 1996 enabled these reparations to be institutionally channeled towards long-term development.
01:21From reparations to aid, we have built a robust economic relationship, intensified by the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement,
01:34the Philippines' first free trade agreement.
01:38Today, Japan stands as the Philippines' leading source of investments.
01:43This strong economic foundation has matured into a relationship anchored in mutual trust.
01:49It now enables both countries to work in a more complex and strategic area, including security, maritime and defense cooperation,
02:00resilient supply chains and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and space.
02:07Seventy years after reconciliation, we have reached a point where mutual trust is no longer just a result of our
02:15partnership.
02:15It is the very force that drives our relationship, it is the very force that drives our relations above and
02:20beyond.
02:21As this trust reaches new heights, it gives us both the confidence and the means to work together towards peace,
02:29prosperity, and explore possibilities.
02:32Today's most more interconnected and interdependent economies and societies have brought not only unprecedented opportunity,
02:42but also new vulnerabilities, as disruptions in one part of the world ripples across many others.
02:50As it is yet, it is in the same moment that human ingenuity, driven in large part by advances in
02:58technology,
02:59offers us the means to address today's challenges.
03:03And paramount among these challenges is the preservation of peace.
03:09Peace is the foundation upon which our shared prosperity is built and from which new possibilities can emerge.
03:16From the ashes of war, the Philippines and Japan chose reconciliation over division and cooperation over indifference.
03:26That choice continues to define our partnership till today.
03:31In an increasingly complex Indo-Pacific, where tensions test the resilience of a rules-based order,
03:38our two nations remain unwavering in our commitment to uphold international law,
03:45promote stability, and advocate for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
03:51We affirm our deep respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,
03:56and our fundamental belief that all states, regardless of size or power,
04:01are equal, have a voice, and are free to pursue their development in accordance with international norms and law.
04:11As maritime democracies, the Philippines and Japan are committed to strengthening maritime security
04:18and ensuring that our seas remain open, secure, and governed by rules, not by force.
04:25The Philippines remains at the forefront of upholding a rules-based maritime order.
04:32In July of this year, we mark the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award on the South China Sea,
04:40which embodies the Philippines' determination to resolve disputes through peaceful means
04:45and mechanisms that are provided under international law.
04:50This mutual commitment to peace extends beyond our seas and into our local communities.
04:58Japan's steadfast support for peace and development in Mindanao, in the southern Philippines,
05:04continues to help uplift a region long affected by instability and by conflict.
05:10We recognize Japan's contributions to international peace,
05:15and we value our growing strategic partnership that reflects not only common interests,
05:21but common principles as well.
05:24This partnership finds concrete expression in our deepening defense and security cooperation
05:29through frameworks such as the Reciprocal Access Agreement,
05:34the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement,
05:37and Japan's official security assistance program,
05:40which supports the Philippines in enhancing its maritime domain awareness and defense capabilities.
05:48Our cooperation is demonstrated in humanitarian assistance and disaster response
05:54when our nations stand ready to help one another in times of crisis,
06:00as well as in law enforcement collaboration,
06:02where we work together to combat transnational crime and promote maritime safety.
06:08In all these areas, our partnership reflects a shared commitment,
06:14not only to security, but to being responsible members of the international community.
06:21We are duty-bound to preserve a peaceful world where nations can thrive
06:26and our peoples can realize their full potential.
06:30For it is on this foundation of peace that prosperity takes root
06:35and where our partnership continues to deliver real, tangible progress.
06:42Honorable members of the Diet,
06:44in all my visits to your beautiful country,
06:47I have experienced the warmth extended by the people of Japan towards the Philippines.
06:52I am pleased to say that this warmth is deeply reciprocated by the Filipino people,
06:58brought about in no small measure by Japan's efforts to support Philippine development.
07:05These contributions have fostered lasting goodwill and deepened mutual trust between us.
07:11Japan has played an indispensable role in the Philippines' economic journey.
07:19It is consistently among our top trading partners,
07:22a leading source of foreign direct investment,
07:25and our largest provider of development assistance,
07:29supporting infrastructure, connectivity, and human development
07:33that have transformed lives across our archipelago.
07:37At the same time, the Philippines contributes to Japan's economy
07:43through the steady supply of high-quality agricultural products
07:47and through the dedication of nearly 360,000-strong Filipino community
07:54supporting key sectors in Japan,
07:56including health care, education, manufacturing, agriculture, and services.
08:03The Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement concluded two decades ago
08:09underpins our economic engagement.
08:13As our bilateral cooperation expands into new frontiers,
08:17such as digital innovation, energy transition,
08:21resilient supply chains, and smart agriculture,
08:24we must modernize the framework to meet rapidly evolving geo-economic realities.
08:30In this regard, promoting security must be a mutual priority.
08:37We must work together to reduce undue dependencies
08:42and ensure that progress is not held hostage to disruptions or to coercion.
08:48For our goal must not only be to build strong economies,
08:53but also to create inclusive and equitable opportunities
08:57that improve lives today and for generations yet to come.
09:02Honorable members of the Diet,
09:04as the Philippines and Japan commemorate 70 years of normalized relations,
09:10we look ahead with confidence and purpose.
09:14The theme of this milestone,
09:16weaving the future together,
09:18sets the course for our relationship for the next 70 years.
09:22Like threads carefully interlaced,
09:27our shared experiences, values, and vision
09:30must be directed to come together
09:33to form something even stronger
09:35and more responsive to the shifting tides of our time.
09:39The possibilities before us are vast
09:42and are already taking shape.
09:44We see this in our growing multi-sectoral engagement
09:48on emerging technologies,
09:50including in clean energy,
09:52artificial intelligence,
09:54and space cooperation,
09:56ensuring that innovation serves humanity
09:59and supports sustainable and inclusive development.
10:03There is also significant potential
10:05for deeper collaboration
10:07between our defense and critical minerals industries,
10:10which will not only strengthen our capabilities,
10:14but also spur human resource development
10:16and technological advancement.
10:20Both in substance and in form,
10:22we have been laying our bilateral ties
10:25as a foundation and a node
10:27for expanded cooperation with like-minded partners,
10:30including the United States.
10:32Within ASEAN,
10:33which the Philippines has the honor to chair this year,
10:36and to whom Japan has been a long-standing
10:39and reliable dialogue partner,
10:41we continue to promote a free,
10:44open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
10:47In the United Nations
10:49and other multilateral fora,
10:51the Philippines and Japan stand together
10:54in advancing solutions to global challenges,
10:57ranging from climate change and health security
11:01to conflict prevention and peace mediation.
11:05The opportunities to further deepen
11:08our people-to-people ties are endless
11:11among students, artists, scientists, workers,
11:15and communities,
11:16making our relationship not only institutional,
11:20but profoundly human.
11:23Honorable members of the Diet,
11:25seven decades of bilateral relations
11:28have brought us milestones and new heights,
11:30but the past alone
11:32is not what sustains this strategic partnership.
11:36Instead, it is heeding the call
11:39to keep our eyes trained forward
11:41to seek bigger, better things
11:43for our people and for our region.
11:47In this ever-changing world,
11:49with fast-paced technological change
11:51and a dynamic geopolitical landscape,
11:54there are more new opportunities
11:56for cooperation than there are challenges.
11:59As natural partners,
12:01whose partnership was founded
12:03on shared values and principles,
12:05we will continue working hand-in-hand
12:07for our common aspiration
12:09for a region that is peaceful,
12:12secure, and prosperous,
12:14and where both the Filipino
12:16and Japanese people
12:18can succeed and thrive.
12:20Our story of choosing to build
12:23on goodwill and mutual trust
12:25in pursuit of a shared future
12:27sends out a strong message
12:30that transcends our two countries.
12:32Our partnership has reached a pinnacle,
12:36but yet we continue to aim
12:39for higher summits.
12:41Let us strive to become an exemplar
12:44of strategic collaboration
12:45that inspires pathways to peace,
12:48shares opportunities towards common prosperity,
12:51and seizes new possibilities
12:54that redound to the benefit
12:55of our nation,
12:56our peoples,
12:58and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
13:00In these halls,
13:02you represent and give voice
13:04to the will of the Japanese people
13:06for whom Filipinos hold deep friendship
13:09and admiration.
13:11It is my hope
13:12that with openness to what lies ahead,
13:15to new ideas,
13:17new horizons,
13:18and possibilities yet imagine,
13:21the Philippines and Japan
13:22may continue to build a future
13:25worthy of our shared aspirations.
13:30Arigato gozaimasu.
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