19 May 2016 - A Memorial Ceremony for the late Secretary Domingo L. Siazon Jr. was held at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo on May 12. Organized by the Philippine Embassy, the ceremony was attended by around 200 mourners comprising government officials, private sector representatives, and friends of the late Secretary Siazon and family members.

The venue of the ceremony was filled with wreaths and white flowers. The ceremony opened with a moment of silence followed by tributes led by former and current Heads of State, as follows: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose tribute was read by Seiji Kihara, State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Member of the House of Representatives of Japan; former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, whose tribute was read by Minister and Consul-General Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio of the Philippine Embassy; and Yasuo Fukuda, former Prime Minister of Japan and who personally delivered his tribute at the ceremony.  

Other senior government officials who gave their tributes to the late Secretary Siazon included DFA Undersecretary Linglingay F. Lacanlale; Hon. Kenji Kosaka, Member of the House of Councillor of Japan and Chairman, Japan-Philippines Parliamentarians Friendship League; Hon. Makoto Katsura, President of the Philippine Society of Japan to the Philippines; Dr. Samir Arrour, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Japan; and Manuel M. Lopez, Philippine Ambassador to Japan, who gave the last tribute in the program. Other DFA officials from Manila who attended the ceremony included Undersecretary Jesus I. Yabes and FSI Director-General Claro S. Cristobal of the Foreign Service Institute.

Mrs. Kazuko I. Siazon, a Japanese and wife of the late Secretary Siazon, and sons Dan and Ken with their spouses attended the memorial ceremony. Eldest son, Dan, gave his response to the tribute on behalf of the family. The ceremony ended with the floral offering by the mourners, including Madame Maria Teresa L. Lopez.

On May 06, the Embassy also held a Mass officiated by Fr. Edwin Corros attended by the Siazon family, Embassy personnel and members of the Filipino Community. During the Mass, the following gave their tributes: Minister and Consul General Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio, Consul-General Maria Teresa L. Taguiang of the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka, and Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez. A book of condolences was also opened to the public from May 11 to 13.

The late Secretary Siazon started his career in the foreign service at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo as translator/interpreter in the 1960s. He earned a second degree in Physics at the Tokyo University of Education as a Japanese government scholar. He served as Philippine Ambassador twice in 1993-1995 and in 2001-2010. He died in Tokyo on May 04. END