APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENTTOAST AND REMARKS OFHIS EXCELLENCY BENIGNO S. AQUINO IIIPRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINESAT THE STATE BANQUET HOSTED BY THEIR MAJESTIESIMPERIAL PALACE, TOKYOJUNE 3, 2015
Your Majesties, Your Excellency Prime Minister Abe and MadamAbe, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen:
On behalf of my delegation, allow me to convey my profoundappreciation and gratitude to Their Majesties for the welcome you havegiven us. Your gracious hospitality honors not only our delegation, butthe entire Filipino nation and the friendship between our two countries.
When Your Majesties traveled to Philippine shores in 1962, youmet with our post-war generation of leaders. In those days, thePhilippines was thought to be only second to Japan, whether in terms of
economic growth or in sports. That journey gave you the opportunity tovisit places of great significance to Philippine history: Malacañan Palace,where Your Majesty the Emperor was conferred the Order of Sikatuna,
and General Emilio Aguinaldo’s residence in Cavite, where the Filipino
people first proclaimed their independence and where you were thus
able to meet with our first president and his wife.
Manyyearsafterward,in1986,I

had

theprivilegeofaccompanying my mother President Corazon C. Aquino on her first visit
to Japan. Your father, the late Emperor Showa—a person ofunquestioned historical importance—even deigned to converse with an1

obscure citizen like myself. I was struck by the simplicity and sincerity of
his tone as he reminded me to take care of my mother—something thatmy own father had told me when I was thirteen years old, in what wethought was the last time we would ever speak. On that occasion, thelate Emperor Showa spoke a truism in telling me to care for my parents,
but his warmth made me feel as if I were not a stranger.
This was the first and only meeting we would ever have, and yet
the memories of our trip to Japan have stayed with me all these years,
not only for the kindness Your Majesty’s family showed us, but also forthe ardent support that Japan showed for the Philippines and mymother’s government. After all, at the time, my country was a newlyreclaimed democracy, eager to rebuild our institutions and our economy.
The support of Japan was a vote of confidence in this endeavor. Then,
as today, we Filipinos have always treasured our democracy, and valued
the friendship of those who have stood by it.
In the decades that have passed since those visits, both thePhilippines and Japan have not remained idle; indeed, we have been
given the chance to know each other closely. The pain and tragedy ofthe past have been healed by Japan’s commitment to a relationshipbased on mutual respect, dignity, and solidarity. For 59 years, our twonations have demonstrated that we can work together for ouradvancement and mutual benefit.

2Tonight, I am here in Tokyo as the leader of the Filipino nation,
proud friends and partners of the Japanese people—the representativeof a nation that has rediscovered its optimism and confidence. As weembark on deepening our decades-long relations to take our friendshipand partnership to new heights, I appreciate this opportunity to sharewith you the significant gains my country has made.
From the beginning, my administration has worked to make thefruits of economic growth felt by all. The success we have enjoyed so far
has been anchored on an unrelenting commitment to good governanceand the backing of the Filipino people, who recognize that the path ofintegrity, honesty, and true public service is the path that can help us torealize all our aspirations.
At the same time, we are aware that our gains became possible, inpart, due to the support of our international partners. In Japan and its
people, we have found steadfast partners and friends in the truest senseof the word: from our economic interactions, to our shared commitment
to peace and development in Mindanao; from our people-to-people
exchanges, to the aid we have given each other during calamities, to ourshared advocacy of peace and the rule of law.
Your Majesties, in the Philippines, friendships are not restricted toa single lifetime: they are cross-generational, in which long-standing
relationships between parties are treasured and preserved. The relations
between our two countries have blossomed into a deep and abiding
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friendship, and a strategic partnership that will serve our peoples well. I
say this with full confidence, because ours is a relationship founded onshared values: the importance we give to democracy, the unflagging
strength of Filipinos and the Japanese, and our dedication to uplifting thelives of all our peoples, under the auspices of “achieving peace
everywhere.”
It is in this spirit, with deepest appreciation for your kindness andthat of your family and of the Japanese people, that I thank Your
Majesties, Your Excellencies, and all our distinguished guests forhonoring the lasting friendship between our two countries.
[BREAK FOR NATIONAL ANTHEMS]
At this point, I would like to invite Your Majesties, Your
Excellencies and our distinguished guests to raise your glasses in atoast:
May Your Majesties continue to be blessed with good health andsuccess;
May the seeds of our relationship, replanted 59 years ago andnourished by the good will of the Filipino and Japanese peoples, beareven sweeter fruit in the decades to come;And may the strategic partnership between the Philippines andJapan bring happiness, peace, and prosperity to our peoples.

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