Japanese businessmen and investors in the country have expressed their heartfelt gratitude to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her involvement and intervention in helping bring about a better business environment both for Filipinos and foreigners.

In a letter to the President dated May 28, 2003, Ryukichi Kawaguchi, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, expressed the unanimous support of the chamber to the President and welcomed her visit to Japan on June 4 to 6.

Kawaguchi said the President’s visit would "relate to closer ties that will further enhance partnership and cooperation between our two nations (Japan and the Philippines)."

In the letter, copies of which were also sent to Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II and Japanese Ambassador Kojiro Takano, the chamber president said they were grateful to the President for making sure that the concerns they brought up earlier were "addressed properly and promptly by the authorities."

Kawaguchi said "we are seeing positive developments" aimed at solving the issues the chamber raised, adding that they "would deeply appreciate it if we would continue receiving (the President’s) kind assistance."

Kawaguchi stressed that the chamber "sees positive developments" at solving at least five key issues to help Japanese businessmen in the Philippines maintain their competitiveness in the global market.

The five issues the chamber raised involved infrastructure, labor, peace and order, the environment and VAT refund.

On infrastructure, the JCCIPI sought improvements in four road projects in Laguna, Batangas and Cavite where export-oriented manufacturing industries are heavily concentrated.

Said the chamber: "Regarding the early completion of the reinforcement works of the Alabang Flyover and the extension of both South Luzon Expressway and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) segment, it has been announced that Your Excellency has given specific instructions that these projects be completed within your term of office. Madam President, we thank you for that."

On labor, the chamber cited President Macapagal-Arroyo for being concerned with employment issues and supporting the expanded role of Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) "to resolve quickly labor disputes and reduce the possibility of illegal strikes."

Kawaguchi said the chamber has been closely in touch with the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Board of Investments (BOI) and the Department of Labor and Employment for advice and suggestions on labor differences.

On peace and order, the chamber noted government action to stop the hijacking and the pilferage of truck cargoes, particularly in the Southern Tagalog region.

Kawaguchi lauded Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr., and officials of the Philippine National Police in addressing the problem.

He likewise cited the benefits Japanese businessmen reap on government moves to protect the environment.

While urging government to "take a more aggressive and proactive stance" for an early construction of a hazardous industrial waste treatment facility, the chamber noted the planned construction of such a plant in Batangas by 2005.

The chamber believed that "utilizing Japanese ODA (Official Development Assistance) scheme is a possible option to be considered."

Kawaguchi likewise took note of government moves to pay back Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds, but sought faster repayments for claims that dated back to pre-2000.

The chamber also asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s management committee to act on their request to use foreign currency in the preparation and presentation of financial statements as what is being done in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore.

SEOUL (Via PLDT) – Like the thousands of her fellow migrant workers toiling in foreign lands just to be able to send something to their loved ones back home, Catalina de la Cruz (not her real name) exploded into a jubilant cheer the moment she heard President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announce that a working permit bill that would legalize their stay here is now in the works.

Catalina, along with friends Nelia and boyfriend Antero, are but some of the 18,000 undocumented Filipino workers here who took time off from their jobs just to be able to see and welcome the President at the start of her three-day visit here last Monday.

The 26-year-old Catalina, eldest of eight children from Manggahan, Pasig, started out as a nightclub dancer when she first set foot here three years ago but eventually ended up as a factory worker in various firms when she started putting on additional pounds.

Although already homesick, Catalina has been left with no option but to stay here illegally just to be able to send something to her siblings back home.

Her take home pay of 75,000 Won, the equivalent of P35, 000, as a worker in a plastic injection factory in Osan, two kilometers from this capital city, has done much to uplift the plight of her brood who depend on her a lot.

This, however, comes with a stiff price, considering the hardships she had to endure as a laborer in a foreign land, not to mention the pain of being separated from her loved ones.

"Mahirap dahil iba’t ibang klaseng employer ang makakaharap mo rito. May mabait, mayroong hindi patas," she says with a wry smile. "Pero tiis, tiis lang at sipag ang kailangan."

The same holds true for Nelia and Antero, Catalina’s fellow factory workers who rue miscommunication with employers as the root of all labor problems here.

"Malaki nga ang kita, malaki rin ang gastos. Kadalasan hindi pa kayo magkaintindihan ng amo mo," says Nelia.

A day later, Catalina’s face lit up when told that there’s a very good chance that their stay in the Land of the Morning Calm could be legalized.

"Totoo?" she asked, jumping in joy. "Wow, sa wakas!"

Like Catalina, the pending bill in the Korean National assembly is stirring a lot of optimism among undocumented Filipino migrant workers in this country as it could mark the end of their TNT (Tago nang Tago) days.

The visit of the President to the Korean National Assembly Tuesday could have done a lot if the bill is eventually passed as several members of the Assembly expressed support for the scheme that would legalize the stay of Catalina and her ilk.

According to the President, the matter was taken up in her talks with Speaker Park Kwan Yong who informed her that the extension of the amnesty for illegals from March 30 to August 30 this year augurs well for the approval of the bill.

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto.Tomas, incumbent president of the International Labor Organization, said she is happy to report that public sentiment is on the Filipinos’ side.

"A lot of locals support the cause of the Filipino migrant workers because they are very hardworking and efficient," she said.

Proof of this growing support is the sponsorship of well-meaning Korean expats living in the Philippines which organized a non-stock, non-profit organization that will look into the employment-related as well as social needs of its Filipino members while staying or working in South Korea.

The group, aptly called United Pinoy Association in Korea (UPAK) is backed up by Korean expats who have long been doing business in the Philippines. UPAK will be run by an experienced Filipino labor lawyer complimented by a staff of Pinoy members.

Their strong support made it possible for the group to be registered as a non-government organization (NGO) with authority to publish Pinoy Balita, a newsletter for Filipinos living or working in South Korea. Pinoy Balita, which will be written in English and Pilipino, will serve as the information conduit between and among Filipino workers and the Philippine and Korean governments.

The NGO status gives UPAK a legal personality to officially seek help from the Korean government on matters that affect Filipino workers like labor, health, immigration, administration of justice and in times of natural or man-made disasters, among others.

Sto. Tomas likewise revealed that she was able to talk to several members of the Korean National Assembly and most of them expressed support.

Should the bill eventually be enacted into law, Catalina, who once dreamt of becoming a newscaster and a lawyer, could finally be able to sit back and relax, happy with the thought that she could go on working here secured and no longer hiding from authorities.

TOKYO – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will share dinner tonight with some 20 chief executive officers (CEO) of major Japanese companies with investments in the Philippines.

Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr. said the meeting would give the President a chance "to listen to (the CEOs) as to what they would like to see in terms of additional economic reforms and incentives" in the Philippines where most of them have expansion programs.

Officials of Japanese companies – to include Honda Motors, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Marubeni, among others – would also pay the President a courtesy call at the Imperial Hotel on Friday (June 6), Siazon said.

The President would likewise meet with officers of major Japanese trading firms on Thursday (June 5) to discuss future cooperation in humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

"But they will surely also discuss agreement negotiations with Japan plus other relevant issues to Japan-Philippines economic relations," Siazon added.

A highlight of the President’s working visit here would be her meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday.

She would also have separate bilateral talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad and Thailand Prime Minister PM Thaksin Shinawatra at the Imperial Hotel on Thursday.

Japan is the biggest source of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Philippines. As of April 2003, 58 percent of ODA commitments to the Philippines came from Japan, and total ODA projects implemented reached some $7 billion.

Japan has also absorbed 15 percent of Philippine exports, while 20 percent of Philippine imports came from Japan. In 2001 and 2002, Japan topped foreign investments in the Philippines.

TOKYO -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will join the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Thailand at the opening of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) 9^th International Conference on the "Future of Asia" at the Imperial Palace here tomorrow.

The three Asean heads of state are expected to speak about the evolving East Asian situation in terms of their political and security structures.

Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr. said the President would deliver her speech at the Nikkei forum at about 9:45 a.m. and is expected to address present security challenges in the region, to include issues on terrorism and nuclear weapon disarmament.

Siazon said the President might likewise give her view of what the future of the East Asia order would be and in terms of economic cooperation, political stability and security of the region by 2005.

SEOUL (via PLDT) -- Being late does not necessarily mean unproductive.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo proved this to Korean and Filipino businessmen holding their 19th joint council meeting at the Dynasty Room of the Shilla Hotel where she was the keynote speaker.

The President, making the most out of the last day of her three-day state visit, apologized for coming in late but quickly added she has a very good reason.

In fact, it is $107 million worth of reason.

"I apologize for my delay in arriving here, but that's because I wanted to add to the report I will give you today," she told the businessmen

She said the reason for her delay was because she was busy putting together a $107-million package with representatives of Hanjin Heavy Industries for several projects that include a Metro Manila Rail Transit which she described as one of her pet projects.

The Commuter Train system, she said, will close a loop in the southern part of Manila "where people can just hop in and out of any station and therefore reduce traffic in the metropolis.

Earlier in her speech, she had apprised the businessmen comprising the Philippines-Korea Economic Council (PhilKorec) and Korea-Philippines Economic Council (KorPhilec) of the $335 million worth of private sector investments her state visit had generated, including the $150-million power plant project in Antique to be set up by the Korea Electric Power Corp.

Along with the $150 million worth of government-to-government agreements topped by the three-year $100-million loan to be sourced from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund and the $49-million Official Development Assistance from Daewoo, the total value of agreements signed during the trip has now reached $606 million.

The President, who earlier in the morning visited the war memorial to honor Filipino soldiers who died during the Korean war, expressed appreciation for South Korea's participation in the Philippine economy, saying she would look forward to continuing to welcome Korean business and people.

She cited the "blood ties" linking Koreans and Filipinos dating back to more than 50 years ago when the two countries fought side by side to defend freedom and democracy in the Korean peninsula.

In that fight against Communist invasion from the North, Filipinos, she said, offered their blood and lives for their Korean brothers.

"This time," Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said, "we are not asking for your blood and lives. We're asking for your investments."

During the council meeting, it was agreed upon that the Philippines should remove such barriers as political instability and insufficient infrastructure while South Korea shall open its market further to the goods and services of the Philippines by relaxing non-tariff barriers and restrictions together with preferential treatment to the Philippines.

SEOUL (Via PLDT) – If the value of the private sector investments and the government agreements signed Tuesday between the Philippines and South Korea would be used as the yardstick, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s three-day state visit here which ends today could then very well be considered a resounding success.

Worth nearly half a billion dollars, the total value of the package resulting from the state visit includes $335 million in business agreements, with the construction of a 100-megawatt power plant in Antique by the Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) getting the lion’s share valued at $150 million.

Along with the $100-million loan agreement between Seoul and Manila that will be sourced from the Economic Development Cooperation Funds (EDCF) and the $5 million each from the vocational training center project in Davao and the RP-Korea Information Technology Training Center, the whole package runs up to $494 million.

Filipino business leaders who attended the signing of business agreements Tuesday were one in saying that US President George W. Bush’s declaration of the Philippines as a major non-NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) ally could have had some influencing effect in getting the job done.

Employers Confederation of the Philippines president Donald Dee said that although there are other countries in the region, which are cheaper to do business with, South Korean investors eventually would prefer the Philippines because of its close ties with the United States.

"For them (South Koreans) to be able to continue and move forward because of a slower growth rate, they tend to look for a lower cost country," Dee said by way of explaining the tremendous response of the Korean businessmen.

"It’s very obvious for them that they would be looking for a cheaper country to deal with but they would always go back to the Philippines because of its special relations with the US and what we have shown to them as a people," he added.

Apart from the KEPCO Antique Plant project, also closed Tuesday was the Memorandum of Agreement for the $20-million joint venture project between Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co. and Empire East Land Holdings.

Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were likewise forged between PL Global Co. Ltd. and PNOC Energy Development Corp. to explore the benefits of developing 32-MW and 29-MW hydroelectric power projects at Villa Siga and Timbaban in Western Visayas estimated to be worth $95 million and the Tricom-Hacienda Golf and Country Club Resorts MOU for the development of a 234-hectare parcel of land within the Clark Special Economic Zone with an estimated value of another $20 million.

Over and above all these is the $49-million development assistance for the construction of the South Rail by Daewoo.

President Macapagal-Arroyo herself expressed both satisfaction and surprise to the support of the Korean businessmen, saying whatever deal the government forged were just added bonus.

She underscored the fact that her state visit here was primarily focused on the security of the region to tie up the loose ends in the war against terrorism and the prevention of the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.

She said that to this end, the Philippines would sponsor a resolution calling for the denuclearization of North Korea to keep peace and stability in Asia.

SEOUL -- South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun has accepted the invitation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for him to visit the Philippines.

When the North Korea issue is settled, he will be able to make his visit, the President told Filipino reporters covering her three-day state visit here.

She said President Roh is now more concerned about attending to the problems of his country.

Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo said that should President Roh’s working visit to the Philippines materialize, it would be his third after his US trip in May and scheduled visit to Japan this week.

The President ended her three-day state visit here today.

"My visit here is very successful. But more important is, I met President Roh because we have mutual ties and interests, especially in the security of the region," she said.

The Chief Executive said she expects to generate more investments from Japanese businessmen during her two-day working visit in Tokyo that starts Thursday.