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6 THE JAPAN TIMES FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2009 (3)

Philippine independence day

EPA heralds new era of relationsTaro NakayamaCHAIRMAN, JAPAN-PHILIPPINE

PARLIAMENTARIAN FRIENDSHIP LEAGUE

MEMBER OF THE HOUSE

OF REPRESENTATIVES

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I wish to extend my sincerecongratulationson the occasionof the 111thanniversary ofPhilippineIndependenceDay.

ThePhilippines andJapan have developed amicablerelations over the years. Inparticular, since the late 19th

century when many Japanesenationals traveled to thePhilippines in search of jobopportunities, the two countrieshave been promoting bilateraleconomic relations year by year.

Now the Philippines andJapan are ready to open a newera of bilateral relations. And weall are waiting with enthusiasmfor the official visit of PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyobecause we believe that thepresident’s visit will be a verygood opportunity to open a newera of bilateral economicrelations based on the enteringinto effect of theJapan-Philippines Economic

Partnership Agreement. Ofcourse we expect that PresidentArroyo’s visit will strengthenfurther our bilateral relations invarious fields as well as theeconomic aspect.

As chairman of theJapan-PhilippineParliamentarian FriendshipLeague, I renew mydetermination to make myutmost effort to further promotethe excellent friendship betweenJapan and the Philippines.

As I extend my felicitations, Isincerely wish for the peace andprosperity of the Philippines,and happiness for its people.

‘‘Mabuhay!’’

Building on each other’s strengthsDomingo L. Siazon Jr.AMBASSADOR OF THE PHILIPPINES

TO JAPAN

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On the occasion of the 111th an-niversary of the declaration ofPhilippine independence, it ismy honor toconvey thewarmest greet-ings of Her Ex-cellency Presi-dent Gloria Ma-capagal Arroyoto Their Impe-rial MajestiesEmperor Akihito and Em-press Michiko, to Prime Min-ister Taro Aso and to the peo-ple of Japan.

The Philippines and Japanmarked the 50th anniversaryof the normalization of diplo-matic relations in 2006. Since1956, Philippine-Japan bilat-eral relations have grown andprogressed by leaps andbounds, thereby earning animportant place in the core re-alities of Philippine foreignpolicy. As a testament to theimportance of Philippine-Ja-pan relations, President Ar-royo will undertake an official

working visit to Tokyo fromJune 17 to 20 to affirm the closeand long-standing bilateral re-lations, and build on the gainsof her previous visits to Japan.

Japan is a close and valuedneighbor of the Philippines.Japan is also host to some207,000 Filipinos, making Fili-pinos the fourth-largest groupof foreigners in Japan.Throughout the years, Japanhas continued to be the Philip-pines’ largest source of officialdevelopment assistance, thesecond-largest trading part-ner and one of our largestsources of foreign direct in-vestment.

We also appreciate Japan’sassistance in our nation-build-ing efforts. Realizing its sig-nificance for ensuring stabili-ty and prosperity in SoutheastAsia, Japan has demonstratedits commitment to help realizepeace and development inMindanao. Japan has beenparticipating in the Interna-tional Monitoring Team since2006 and implementing its pro-ject, Japan-Bangsamoro Ini-tiatives for Reconstructionand Development (J-BIRD),

aimed at enabling people atthe grass-roots level to tangi-bly benefit from the ‘‘divi-dends of peace.’’ The Japan In-ternational Cooperation Agen-cy (JICA) and Japan Bank forInternational Cooperation(JBIC) have also been activein Mindanao, and in the rest ofthe Philippines.

In the face of the globaleconomic crisis, the Philip-pines will be implementing astimulus package worth 330billion Philippine pesos ($6.9billion) that would includetax cuts, financing of largeand labor-intensive infra-structure projects, and ex-pansion of welfare programsto help the vulnerable sector:poor families, overseasworkers and export industryemployees. The substantialassistance extended by theJICA and JBIC will definitelysupport and amplify the ef-fects of this stimulus pack-age.

We remain hopeful that oureconomic growth will regainmomentum with the entry in-to force of the first-ever bilat-eral free-trade agreement

for the Philippines. On Dec.11, 2008, the landmark Japan-Philippines Economic Part-nership Agreement (JPE-PA) entered into force. Tru-ly, our bilateral relationswith Japan are closely knitand multifaceted. The JPE-PA shows that we are able todraw on each other’sstrengths and maximizeareas of complementarity.While Japan has always beenone of our top sources of in-vestments and a leader in ad-vanced technology, the Phil-ippines has been known forits top-quality human re-sources.

Last month, on May 10, wewelcomed the arrival in Ja-pan of the first batch of 273nurses and caregivers fromthe Philippines. In the mari-time sector, we provide about70 percent, or 30,000, of sea-farers manning Japanesevessels. Our bilateral eco-nomic relations continue tobe stable and we are confi-dent that, with the JPEPA inplace, trade and investment,as well as business and em-ployment opportunities willcontinue to expand.

O n a people-to-people lev-el, Japan continues to be amajor destination for Filipi-nos, not just for employmentbut for education and otherexchange activities. Underthe Ship for Southeast AsianYouth Programme, one of theoldest exchange programs(established in 1974), and theJapan-East Asia Network ofExchange for Students andYouths (JENESYS) Pro-gramme, an initiativelaunched in 2008 with the aimto invite 6,000 youths fromEast Asia annually duringthe next five years, thou-sands of Filipino young peo-ple have visited Japan, andwere given a chance to inter-act and forge friendshipswith their Japanese andASEAN counterparts.

It is my hope that theseCONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Tourism engine drivesgrowth, developmentThe Philippines, the ‘‘Pearl ofthe Orient,’’ boasts a rich cul-tural heritage and natural di-versity, powder-white stretch-es of beautiful beaches and re-freshing tropical fruits.

Included in the prime desti-nations of the country are fivecultural and natural sites reg-istered with UNESCO’s list ofWorld Heritage sites. Theseare the 16th-century Baroquechurches in Manila, Santa Ma-ria, Paoay and Miagan, thebreathtaking TubbatahaReef, the historic town of Vi-gan in North Luzon, the under-ground river in Palawan andthe more than 2,000-year-oldBanaue Rice Terraces.

The Philippines’ interna-tionally acclaimed tourismdestinations have made it a

premium destination andhave led to the astoundinggrowth of its tourism industry.In 2008, more than 3 millionvisitors came to discover thecountry’s charms and experi-ence the warm hospitality ofthe Filipinos. The significantgrowth of tourist arrivals trig-gered a rush of tourism devel-opment projects and createdadditional employment in themidst of the global economicdownturn.

For the period January toMarch 2009, hotels and resortswith a total of 1,231 rooms andan aggregate cost of $160.32million were opened. These in-clude the $63.6 million Imperi-al Palace Water Park, Resortand Spa in Cebu, the Shangri-La Hotel’s Boracay Resort and

Spa, and 28 cluster villas in theAmanpulo Tourism Enter-prise Zone in Palawan.

Another project that willboost the Philippines’ positionas a premium destination inthe Asia-Pacific region is theDiwaran Island project. Di-waran, an uninhabited island

with white sand beaches, coralreefs and a diverse marinelife, has some of the world’sbest dive sites. This is whereBanyan Tree Holdings Ltd.and its partners will develop a55-hectare luxury resort worth$200 million. The project is tar-geted to be completed in 2012.

Nature’s gift: The clear turquoise blue ocean of thePhilippines is rich in marine biodiversity.

One side of paradise: The newly constructed Shangri-La Hotel’s Resort and Spa in Boracay

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Philippine independence day/world

Iran, Obama swayedLebanon voters’ choiceBeirutAP

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Fears of a hardline Iranhelped swing Christian votersfrom the militant Shiite groupHezbollah and deliver electionvictory to a pro-Western coali-tion in Lebanon. U.S. Presi-dent Barack Obama’s out-reach to Muslims lingered invoters’ minds, too.

Now the question is whethersimilar factors will swayIran’s own elections Fridayfor the presidency, consideredtoo close to call between in-cumbent President MahmoudAhmadinejad and a self-styledreformist challenger.

Lebanon and Iran are dif-ferent in key ways, with votersin Lebanon, an Arab country,tending to vote along Shiiteand Sunni Muslim and Chris-tian sectarian lines and out offamily loyalties.

Iran, in contrast, which ismainly Persian and mostlyShiite Muslim, is divided by asharp struggle between the Is-lamic establishment and de-sires for greater personalfreedom and more liberal for-eign and economic policies.

Neither country has any ac-curate, independent or public-ly available political polling,and no poll has attempted tosubstantively gauge the effectof Obama’s presidency or hisrecent Cairo outreach speechto Muslims on either country.

One recent poll done on be-half of two U.S.-based public-interest groups found that fewIranians — only 29 percent —said they have favorable opin-ions of the United States, andthat the view has changed lit-tle since Obama’s election.

In general, concerns overIran’s recent hardline posi-

tions — and interest in Oba-ma’s call for dialogue withIran and his outreach to Mus-lims overall — are intenseacross many parts of the Mid-east, showing up often as a top-ic in media and conversations.

In a high-profile speech inCairo last week in the finalstretches of both countries’campaigns, Obama chal-lenged the Islamic world toconfront violent extremismand find ways to achievepeace between Palestiniansand Israelis. The speech cameamid high tensions betweenArab allies of America andIran in the region itself.

‘‘My sense is that Iraniansfeel there is a window now tomove in a new direction withAmerica, and change Iran’sreputation in the region,’’ saidAdbulkhaleq Abdulla, a profes-sor of political science at Emir-ates University in Al Ain, UnitedArab Emirates. ‘‘The questionis, can opponents of Ahmadine-jad make this feeling translateinto votes on election day?’’

‘‘I don’t want to overestimateit,’’ added political analyst Sha-rif Emam Jomeh in Iran. ‘‘Butpeople do think that now theworld has changed. . . . Obamahas come to power and it’s timefor Iran to change.’’

In Lebanon, Obama’s effectwas equally muted though stillevident. Iran’s effect on Leba-nese Christian voters, however,was glaringly out in the open.

Christians were the swingvoters in Sunday’s ballotingand the votes in two key Chris-tian districts helped the pro-Western coalition retain itsmajority in Parliament over acoalition including the ShiiteHezbollah group, which isbacked by Iran.

A key factor was a last-min-

ute warning against Iranian in-fluence from Patriarch Nasral-lah Sfeir, head of the influentialMaronite Catholic Church i nLebanon. He warned that Iran’scharacter and its Arab identitywere under threat — an allusionto Iran, Hezbollah’s mentor.

Lebanon’s large Christianminority fiercely guards itsliberal lifestyle and freedoms.

‘‘What the patriarch said af-fected the way people voted,’’said Edmond Samir, a Chris-tian shopper in his mid-30swho said he backed the win-ning ticket.

The pro-Western camp won68 seats while Hezbollah andits allies — including oneChristian faction — ended upwith 57. An estimated two-thirds of Lebanon’s Christianvoters had supported Hezbol-lah’s Christian ally, former ar-my chief Michel Aoun, in thelast election in 2005. But re-sults indicated enough turnedaway from Aoun this time infavor of the pro-Western blocto make the Christian spliteven, and to swing the out-come toward the pro-Westernbloc decisively.

Iran’s Islamic guardianswarn against ‘revolution’Revolutionary Guards’threat is directed atreformist Mousavi

TehranAP

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In the final hours of Iran’sfierce election campaign, thetop proreform challenger toPresident Mahmoud Ahmad-inejad got a sharp warningWednesday that authoritieswill crush any attempt at a pop-ular ‘‘revolution’’ inspired bythe huge rallies and street par-ties calling for more freedoms.

The threat by an official ofthe powerful RevolutionaryGuard reflected the increas-ingly tense atmosphere sur-rounding Friday’s up-for-grabs election. It also markeda sharp escalation by the rul-ing clerics against the youth-driven campaign of Mir Hos-sein Mousavi and its hopes ofan underdog victory.

The Revolutionary Guard isone of the pillars of the Islamicestablishment and controlslarge military forces as wellas a nationwide network of mi-litia volunteers. The messagefrom the guards’ politicalchief, Yadollah Javani, ap-peared to carry twin purpos-

es: to rattle Mousavi’s back-ers just before the polls and towarn that it would not toleratethe formation of a postelectionpolitical force under the ban-ner of Mousavi’s ‘‘green move-ment’’ — the signature color ofhis campaign.

I n a statement on the guards’Web site, Javani drew parallelsbetween Mousavi’s campaignand the Velvet Revolution thatled to the 1989 ouster of the com-munist government in formerCzechoslovakia.

‘‘There are many indica-tions that some extremist (re-formist) groups, have de-signed a colorful revolution. . . using a specific color forthe first time in an election,’’the statement said.

Calling that a ‘‘sign of kick-ing off a Velvet Revolution pro-ject in the presidential elec-tions,’’ Javani vowed that any‘‘attempt for Velvet Revolutionwill be nipped in the bud.’’

Ahmadinejad is believed tohave wide support in the Revo-lutionary Guard and amongIran’s ruling clerics, thoughneither have given public en-dorsements in a presidentialrace that has seen the suddenand unexpected rise of Mousa-vi, who served as prime minis-ter in the 1980s.

Even after the end of cam-

paigning at midnight Thursday,thousands of Mousavi support-ers remained in the streets,dancing on cars, waving greenflags and passing pro-Mousavifliers into car windows.

The lingering images fromthe campaign’s final hourssummed up the intensity of thepast weeks. Ahmadinejad drewtens of thousands of flag-wavingbackers, including many wom-en in black Islamic chadors, ashe claimed he was the victim ofNazi-style propaganda.

‘‘They applied the methodsof (Josef) Goebbels, propa-ganda minister of Hitler,’’ Ah-madinejad told supportersjamming a street for one of hislast appearances before thevote. ‘‘They used this methodof psychological war againstour nation.’’

It was an apparent referenceto Ahmadinejad’s repeatedclaims that Mousavi has exag-gerated Iran’s economic prob-lems to discredit the govern-ment. Mousavi has dismissedhis rival’s charges as an at-tempt to whitewash the scope ofIran’s problems, which includedouble-digit inflation andchronic unemployment.

Mousavi has also c r i t i c i z e dAhmadinejad for blackeningIran’s international reputationby questioning the Holocaust.

Chair lift: A wheelchair-bound supporter of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is liftedabove the crowd during the president’s final rally in western Tehran on Wednesday. AP

Building on each other’s strengthsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

kinds of exchanges intensifybecause they are buildingblocks toward stronger andcloser diplomatic relations.Indeed, our friendship withJapan is built on a solid foun-dation of personal friendships,mutual understanding and co-operation.

While many of our nationalsarrive in Japan for employ-ment or education opportuni-ties, we hope that more Japa-nese would in turn continue tovisit our shores to enjoy the re-nowned warmth and hospitali-ty of our people, and ourunique culture — a fusion ofEast and West. Japan contin-ues to be our second-largestsource of tourists. Our beach-es are among the best in theworld, among them the im-maculate white shores ofBoracay and Cebu, and thepristine turquoise waters ofour last frontier, Palawan.Our cities such as Manila andCebu are vibrant and lively,

with much to offer in history,entertainment and shopping.Furthermore, the Philippinesis only a four-hour flight away.Travel will definitely be easyon time and the budget.

Indeed, even as populationsincrease, and the pace of in-dustrialization and develop-ment proceeds at a more orless steady pace, we feel theworld getting smaller. Wespeak of a community not justin a parochial or regionalsense, but on a global scale.The recent financial marketand economic crises highlight-ed the need for coordinated re-gional and global responses tospur economic activity andgrowth.

In this regard, anothermilestone worthy of note isthe entry into force for Japanon Dec. 1, 2008, of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Eco-n o m i c P a r t n e r s h i p(AJCEP), which is in the pro-cess of ratification by indi-vidual members of the Asso-

ciation of Southeast AsianNations. The AJCEP willlikely enter into force for thePhilippines by this July.There is much to gain for thePhilippines, Japan and thewider ASEAN region underthe AJCEP.

The agreement expands theopportunities for greatertrade and investment bybringing together two majormarkets, ASEAN’s combinedpopulation of over 500 millionand Japan’s estimated 127 mil-lion. The AJCEP also im-proves the regional produc-tion process thanks to a uniquefeature, the cumulative Rulesof Origin, which confer originto goods produced using mate-rials from AJCEP countries,thereby further facilitatingcross-border trade.

Given these increasinglyclose economic ties, enhancedPhilippine-Japan trade meansenhanced ASEAN-Japantrade. In the long run, it will al-so mean enhanced East Asiatrade with ASEAN’s conclu-sion of FTAs with the othermembers of the East AsiaSummit (EAS), namely, Chi-na, South Korea, Australiaand New Zealand. Negotia-tions for an ASEAN-India FTAare expected to lead to the con-clusion of an agreement byDecember this year. Our goalof an East Asia free-trade ar-ea is slowly but surely beingrealized.

We also need to work as onein addressing important is-sues that know no borders,such as climate change, ener-gy security and the threat ofinfectious diseases. Accordingto a recent study by the AsianDevelopment Bank, countriesin Southeast Asia, includingthe Philippines, are highlyvulnerable to climate change,and are likely to sustain hugeeconomic and human costs asa result. We hope that Japanwill take the lead in persuad-ing the world’s major econo-mies to meet an ambitious me-dium-term (2020) as well asthe 2050 target for carbonemissions reduction.

The Philippines and Japanhave also been active partnersin promoting deeper andstronger political-security re-lations in the ASEAN RegionalForum, ASEAN-Japan,ASEAN+3, EAS and the Unit-ed Nations, among othergroups. With the historic adop-tion of the ASEAN Charter,and the growing cooperationamong the ASEAN+3 and theEAS countries, our vision of an‘‘East Asia Community’’ is be-ing realized and is within ourvisible horizon.

As the Philippines and Ja-pan forge ahead with deeperlevels of cooperation and col-laboration into the 21st centu-ry, I am reminded of what Dr.Jose Rizal, the national hero ofthe Philippines, once saidwhen he visited Japan morethan a century ago. He wroteto his friends and family aboutthe honesty, courtesy, and in-dustry of the Japanese people.He also envisioned that, in thefuture, the Philippines wouldhave more contact and closerrelations with Japan. With thehistory and development inour bilateral ties thus far, I amconfident that the Philippinesand Japan will continue to en-joy excellent and close rela-tions.

‘‘Mabuhay ang ugnayangPilipinas at Japan!’’

Philippine Investment Priorities Plan evolves with the timesIn response to the global eco-nomic slowdown, the Philip-pine government drew up the2009 Investment PrioritiesPlan (IPP) that is aimed atmitigating perceived em-ployment contraction, andweathering other negativeimpacts on industry and ser-vices. The Philippines is oneof the few developing econo-mies projected to grow interms of GDP in the midst ofthe global crunch. It is confi-dent of its place as the accesspoint and hub to other growthmarkets in Asia, includingChina and India.

The IPP is an annual list-ing of preferred or identifiedindustry sectors. These pro-jects may be eligible for arange of tax and nontax in-centives from the govern-ment. The IPP includes aContingency List, a RegularList and the Mandatory List.

The Contingency List com-prises existing projects andactivities that bear the bruntof the global economic crisisbut have the financial muscleto retain or even expand in-vestments, as well as initiateprograms to maintain or in-crease employment. New

projects of micro-, small andmedium-size firms are in-cluded to spur livelihood pro-jects that are expected to pro-vide additional employmentand generate additional in-come for the country’s bur-geoning population.

The Regular List identifiesinvestment areas shored upby the private sector that arein line with priority pro-grams of the government.This covers agriculture, in-cluding agribusiness andfisheries, to underscore theimportance of long-term foodsecurity. Infrastructure pro-jects and activities such astransport, water supply anddistribution, logistics, masshousing, pipeline projects foroil and gas, and engineeredproducts like shipbuilding,machinery and equipment,transport equipment, andiron and steel products are

covered, giving the neededshot-in-the-arm for the gov-ernment’s thrust to pursueprime infrastructure devel-opment projects.

The Regular List also ac-cords primary attention tothe tourism sector as well asBusiness Process Outsourc-ing (BPO), and emergingcreative industries like film,TV and theater arts produc-tion.

The Mandatory List in-cludes industries covered un-der the Philippine MiningAct, Downstream Oil Indus-try Deregulation Law, Eco-logical Solid Waste Manage-ment Act, Clean Water Actand Renewable Energy Act.

The Board of Investments(BOI) of the Philippines col-laborates closely with thePhilippine commercial offic-es in Tokyo and Osaka as wellas the Embassy of Japan in

Manila to enjoin potential in-vestors who wish to locatetheir operations in the coun-try. Through the BOI, poten-tial investors will be assistedin identifying economicallyfeasible projects and sites, aswell as suitable joint-venturepartners.

The Philippines is commit-ted to forge stronger businessties and seek long-term stra-tegic relationships with Jap-anese companies. The BOIworks toward simplifyingand facilitating companydealings with government. Itwill nurture investmentsfrom Japan, gearing itself totruly listen to specific busi-ness interests and work outindividual plans with inves-tors.

For more details on theBOI, the 2009 IPP and othermatters, please visithttp://www.boi.gov.ph

Brighter future beckonsYoshihisa AraPRESIDENT, PHILIPPINE SOCIETY OF JAPAN

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On behalf of the Philippine So-ciety of Japan, I have thehonor and plea-sure to extendmy heartfeltc o n g r a t u l a -tions to the gov-ernment andpeople of theRepublic of thePhilippines fortheir glorious day of indepen-dence.

This year marks the start-ing point of a new era be-tween our two countries. Theeconomic partnership agree-ment, effective since Decem-ber 2008, has laid down a solidbasis for a brighter future.

By virtue of this new com-mitment, not only movementof goods and capital will befurther accelerated, but alsothe possibility of greater mo-bility of qualified labor willbe secured. Our partnershipwill become truly total, com-prehensive and mutuallybeneficial.

On the other hand, our twocountries face various chal-lenges, in particular the eco-nomic and financial crisis.Japan is struggling to recov-er, but is relieved to witness

the Philippines’ strong resil-ience to the present turmoil.The Philippines is once againa chance for Japan and Asia.

In this period of global un-certainty, it is a time for ourtwo countries to join their ut-most efforts for the sake ofstability and progress inAsia, and other parts of theworld. United, we canachieve many things.Through patient dialogue andpersuasion, our commonspecificity, we will be able tocontribute to greater politi-cal and economic stability inour region.

The people of our two coun-tries realize slowly butsteadily that they can live to-gether as good partners be-cause they are mutually com-plementary. The one haswhat the other has not. Wemust make the most of thispotential. After all, humanresources are the only re-sources in abundance in bothcountries.

On this historical day of in-dependence, I sincerely hopethat our two countries andpeople will march together,side by side and hand in hand,toward a more stable andmore equitable future, de-spite the whorling storm inthe present world.

Starting early: A child iscarried on the shoulders ofan adult at an election rallyfor reformist candidate MirHossein Mousavi in Tehranon Tuesday. AP