PGMA's Speech during the State Dinner hosted by their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan

Banquet Hall, Imperial Palace Tokyo Japan (03 Dec 2002)
YOUR EXCELLENCIES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

IT'S MY GREAT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE IN JAPAN UPON YOUR MAJESTIES KIND
INVITATION. THIS VISIT MANIFESTS THE DEEP FRIENDSHIP THAT BINDS OUR TWO
COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES.

AS THE RECENT EVENTS IN OUR REGION AND IN THE WORLD HAVE MADE CLEAR, ONLY
THROUGH EARNEST ACTS OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION ESPECIALLY BETWEEN
NEIGHBORS LIKE OURS CAN NATIONS HOPE TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE COMMON
THREATS AND CHALLENGES FACING THEM.

THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND JAPAN ARE BLESSED WITH A
LONG HISTORY. THIS FRIENDLY TIES COULD BE TRACED AS FAR BACK AS THE EXILE
OF LORD OKUN TAKAYAMA, A GREAT CHRISTIAN SAMURAI AND HIS FAMILY TO MANILA
IN 1614.

THREE CENTURIES AFTER THAT, THE PHILIPPINES BEGAN BENEFITING IMMENSELY FROM
THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS TO OUR COUNTRY.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN THE PHILIPPINE SUMMER CAPITAL OF BAGUIO, WHICH YOU
VISITED, YOUR MAJESTIES RECEIVED A GREAT BOOSTS FROM THE FIRST LARGE WAVE
OF JAPANESE MIGRATION TO MY COUNTRY IN 1903.

THE CENTENNIAL OF JAPANESE IMMIGRATION TO THE PHILIPPINES NEXT YEAR IS AN
IMPORTANT MILESTONE. AND WE ALREADY HAVE LINED UP APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES
TO MARK THE OCCASION.

A SUBSEQUENT WAVE IN THE SAME YEAR LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SIZABLE
COMMUNITY OF JAPANESE DESCENT IN THE PROVINCE OF DAVAO IN THE ISLAND OF
MINDANAO. THAT COMMUNITY BECAME A CATALYST FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN
SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES WHICH TODAY SUPPLIES 90 PERCENT OF THE BANANAS AND THE
GREAT BULK OF THE PINEAPPLES ENJOYED IN JAPAN TODAY.

ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE, I STILL VIVIDLY REMEMBER ANOTHER MILESTONE IN
JAPAN-PHILIPPINE RELATIONS THAT YOUR MAJESTY TALKED ABOUT EARLIER -- THE
VISIT OF YOUR MAJESTIES TO MANILA 40 YEARS AND ONE MONTH AGO.

AND I AM VERY PROUD AND HONORED THAT IT WAS MY FATHER, THEN THE PRESIDENT
OF THE PHILIPPINES, WHO HOSTED THE THEN VISITING CROWN PRINCE AND CROWN
PRINCESS.

YOUR VISIT TO MY COUNTRY, YOUR MAJESTIES SIGNAL THE CLOSE OF A DIFFICULT
CHAPTER IN OUR COMMON HISTORY AND SIGNAL THE START OF A NEW ONE -- A
CHAPTER OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP, A CLOSE ALLIANCE OF GENUINE PARTNERSHIP.

THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS SINCE BORN MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FRUITS FOR BOTH
COUNTRIES. JAPAN HAS THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS BEEN A LEADING SUPPORTER OF
PHILIPPINE EFFORTS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND NATION-BUILDING.

THE ASIAN FLU AND THE ASIAN CRISIS AFFECTED US BOTH. YET, AT THE HEIGHT OF
THE FINANCIAL STORM THAT HIT FIVE YEARS AGO, JAPAN SOLIDARITY WAS A STRONG
AND HEARTFELT PRESENCE IN MY COUNTRY AS IT WAS IN THE REST OF SOUTHEAST
ASIA.

YOU MAJESTIES, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, I'M HERE TO BUILD UPON A ROBUST BILATERAL
PARTNERSHIP. THIS VISIT OF STATE IS THE FIRST BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES IN
THE NEW CENTURY. AND IT COMES CLOSELY ON THE HEELS OF THE LAUNCH OF NEW
COOPERATION PARADIGMS IN EAST ASIA.

THE PHILIPPINES AND JAPAN ARE VITAL ALLIES IN BUILDING AND MAINTAINING
PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE WHOLE REGION. OUR ALLIANCE CAN BE FURTHER
STRENGTHENED. IT CAN BE EXPANDED TO REINFORCE THE MARCH TOWARDS REGIONAL
INTEGRATION.

JAPAN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO GREATER EAST ASIAN INTEGRATION IS EXEMPLIFIED IN
ITS ACTIVE SUPPORT FOR THE ASEAN+3 AND THE ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM PROCESSES.
ITS COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES WITH ASEAN AND OTHER
EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES AND ITS ROLE IN BUILDING THE PEACE FOUNDATION FOR
STABILITY AND PROGRESS IN COUNTRIES LIKE CAMBODIA AND EAST TIMOR.

IN THIS AND OTHER IMPORTANT INITIATIVES SUCH AS ON ISSUES OF IMMEDIATE
CONCERN IN NORTHEAST ASIA, JAPAN'S UNFLINCHING ADVOCACY OF DIALOGUE HAS MY
COUNTRIES FULL SUPPORT AND COOPERATION.

EAST ASIA IS OUR COMMON HOME. IN THIS HOUSE, DIALOGUE PROVIDES THE BEST
AVENUE FOR RESOLVING DIFFERENCES. IT CAN BE THE ONLY MEANS TO BRING
CLOSURE TO A DIFFICULT TASK.

WE HAVE WITNESSED HOW DIALOGUE COULD FACILITATE GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND
CHART NEW AVENUES FOR COOPERATION. WE SAW THIS IN 1999 WHEN IN THE COURSE OF THE ASEAN+3 MEETINGS,
MANILA HOSTED THE FIRST SUMMIT IN HALF A CENTURY BETWEEN THE LEADERS OF
JAPAN, CHINA AND SOUTH KOREA.

JAPAN AND THE PHILIPPINES HAVE BOTH LONG RECOGNIZED THAT COMMON STRANDS RUN
THROUGH OUR STAKE IN THE DESTINY AND COHESION OF THE REGION. BY WORKING
TOGETHER, WE CAN ADVANCE TOGETHER.

OUR TWO COUNTRIES HAVE LAID FOUNDATIONS OF AMITY, DEEPER AND MORE SOLID
THAN THOSE OF BRIDGES OR FACTORIES. I SAW THIS FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN THEIR
MAJESTIES RECEIVED HERE, MY MOTHER, THE FIRST LADY, WHO WELCOMED THEM IN
MANILA 40 YEARS AGO.

OUR PEOPLE SHALL STRENGTHEN THIS FOUNDATION BY EVERY PASSING YEAR. GREATER
THAN FIVE THOUSAND JAPANESE-FILIPINO COUPLES WHO EXCHANGED WEDDING VOWS
EACH YEAR. THEY AND THEIR MANY CHILDREN WILL PROVIDE THE STRONGEST BONDS
THAT WILL KEEP JAPAN-PHILIPPINE RELATIONS VIBRANT AND STRONG, THE BONDS
THAT ONLY FAMILIES CAN BUILD.

IN THAT SPIRIT AND IN BEHALF OF A GRATEFUL NATION, LET ME OFFER A TOAST.

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH, YOUR MAJESTY.

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