It is not often that a leader of a foreign state addresses members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in a joint session of the Philippines Congress. This already makes the scheduled speech today, Nov. 4, of Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio a historic milestone—as being only the fifth time that such an occasion happened (the first being in 1960 by then-US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, second in 2003 by then-US President George W. Bush, and the third and fourth instances in 2005 with then-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf followed by then-Chinese President Hu Jintao). 

But perhaps even more historically significant is the fact that this is the first time a leader of Japan addresses the Philippine Congress since after World War II. It is proof that the bilateral relations between the two countries have matured from more than just its economic and political foundations, but also to its more cultural and historical aspects. As with his speech in Congress today, this maturity can be seen in the discussions during the meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, which include Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and concerns over the West Philippine Sea. 

Japan is the largest bilateral source of ODA, with the Department of Finance (DOF) estimating the total to ₱7.77 trillion ($14.139 billion), over a period of 20 years (from 2001 to 2020). This is especially significant when seen vis-a-vis the total bilateral loans from the same period, which amounts to $19.656 billion. Japan’s ODA alone comprise 72 percent of total ODAs. Even more promising is the additional ₱250 billion assistance secured by PBBM from his visit in Tokyo earlier in April, meant to help the Philippines in its efforts to be a middle-income economy by 2025. 

Prime Minister Kishida’s visit and speech before both houses of Congress come at an opportune moment, some might say, as both the Philippines and Japan have common interests and face similar challenges, economically and politically. 

On top of these current issues, both countries have been enjoying a long history of cultural exchange that comes in many forms—from tourism to the arts. For additional perspective, a total of 126,900 ‘revenge travelers’ from the Philippines went to Japan in 2022, according to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) earlier this year. Furthermore, Japan is also a popular choice for Filipinos looking to work overseas, as well as for those wanting to study abroad. 

Indeed, Prime Minister Kishida’s scheduled speech in a joint session of Congress today—and his visit to the country, overall—is proof of Japan’s sincerity in building a robust, mutually beneficial relationship with the Philippines. That he was given the honor to be the fifth foreign leader to address the country’s legislative body is a truly historic moment.