Villar sees stronger Philippines Japan ties

MANILA, Philippines — Manuel Villar Jr., the country’s richest man, sees stronger ties between the Philippines and Japan even as both countries continue to face global challenges.

“Japan will always be our friend and I am certain that this friendship will endure as it has for centuries. Our common goals of ensuring peace and stability, promoting economic growth, and human security bind our two countries and our peoples as we continue to face global challenges,” Villar said following his conferment by the Japanese government of the distinguished Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

“I am deeply honored with their recognition of my humble efforts to promote and ‘strengthen the bilateral economic relations’ between the Philippines and Japan,” Villar said.

Villar’s conferment recognizes his contributions to strengthening economic bilateral relations between Japan and the Philippines as former Senate president and former speaker of the House of Representatives.

During Villar’s term as Senate president, the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) and the “Protocol Amending the Convention Between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Income Taxes” were ratified in October and September 2008, respectively.

“As senator, Villar supported the ratification of the Agreement on Technical Cooperation Between the Government of Japan and the Republic of the Philippines, which was adopted into a Senate Resolution in March 2011. Japan highly valued his efforts in supporting and promoting the bilateral and economic relations between Japan and the Philippines,” the government of Japan said.

Villar, in response, said, “I humbly accept this eminent recognition – the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government in 1875.”

He said Japan has been an important partner of Filipinos, including being the country’s top investor, the Philippines’ biggest source of bilateral official development assistance (ODA) since 2001, and a leading partner in modernizing infrastructure.

“While our countries commemorated the 65th year of the full restoration of diplomatic relations in 2021, the history of our friendship dates back to the 16th century. This history of diplomatic relations is the bedrock of the mutual respect between our peoples,” Villar said.