TOKYO, Japan — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said there was a need to reawaken the relationship between the Philippines and Japan as it had been "dormant" due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Marcos said this in a dinner meeting with the executives of Mitsui & Co. and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) here on Wednesday evening, Feb. 8.
In his short speech, the President lauded the relationship between the Philippines and Japan's public and private sectors.
"The partnership between not only Mitsui but the whole of Japan and the Philippines has been a long-standing one," he pointed out.
"We can point to so many of the developments that happened in the Philippines with the assistance of the different Japanese funding agencies and our government-to-government arrangements and commercial arrangements, and these have been to the benefit of both our countries," he added.
However, Marcos thought that the said long-standing relationship had been dormant. He said he was looking forward to the discussions between the two countries during his trip.
"The partnerships, I think, that we have developed with our friends here in Japan — with Mistui, in particular — are now we will have to revitalize them as they have been dormant to an effect, to a degree, during the lockdowns of the pandemic," he said.
"We look forward to the discussions that we will be having here for the next few days as we have very much— we have great hopes that this will be a driver in our... the transformation of our economy," he added.
The discussions during the dinner meeting centered on strengthening collaboration between the Philippine government and Japanese companies regarding trade and investment.
Mitsui & Co. is a Japanese company that primarily engages in product sales, logistics and financing, infrastructure projects, iron and steel products, information technology (IT), and communication, among other businesses. It currently operates in 128 offices in 63 countries, including the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the MPIC is a Philippine-based investment management and infrastructure holding company primarily involved in strategic partnerships through improving operational efficiency, increasing customer coverage, and working closely with regulators and other government partners.
Joining the President in the dinner meeting are First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Mitsui & Co. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kenichi Hori, MPIC Chairman Manuel Pangilinan, and Cabinet members.
Marcos is in Japan for a five-day Official Work visit.