PH Embassy in Tokyo Honors Filipino Community Leaders

Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V (seated, third from right) and Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Chairman Francisco P. Acosta (seated, fourth from right)  with past awardees and nominees of the Presidential Awards for Overseas Filipinos, and FilCom Leaders. (Tokyo PE photo)

TOKYO 11 October 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo honored Filipino Community leaders during a dinner event hosted by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) on 30 September 2019 at the Philippine Embassy.

The event is part of  “Ugnayan sa Japan” initiative under the leadership of CFO Chairman Justice Francisco P. Acosta (Ret.).

Past awardees and nominees of the CFO Presidential awards as well as various Filipino Community organizations all over Japan attended the dinner, including 2004 Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino awardee Marie Bernabe Nihei, 2014 Banaag awardee Anita Sasaki and 2014 Banaag awardee Professor Wako Asato.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V underscored how CFO “Ugnayan” embodies the spirit of bayanihan as it aims to reach out and touch base with the Filipino Community in Japan, and rally behind a common purpose–to contribute to nation-building wherever Filipinos are.

CFO Chairman Francisco P. Acosta highlighted the honorees’ outstanding contributions to the Filipino Community in Japan, and thanked them for their selfless service to their fellow Filipinos. He further urged them to embrace as their mission the promotion of the interests and welfare of their kababayans in response to President Duterte’s call for a more inclusive society where no one is left behind.

The CFO further urged the Filipino community in Japan to participate in the 2020 Presidential Awards for Overseas Filipinos, which is now open for nominations.

The “Ugnayan” is a CFO initiative that harnesses ties of Filipino diaspora in Japan, through forums and consultations. There are around 290,000 Filipinos living in Japan as of latest statistics. END

Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel (top left) and CFO Chairman Acosta (top right) encourage the Filcom Leaders to continue helping their countrymen. (Tokyo PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.tokyo.philembassy.net or https://www.tokyope.dfa.gov.ph, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinJapan/.