In addition to discussing tourism and agriculture, President Benigno Aquino III, Emperor Akihito, and Empress Michiko talked about traffic and Japanese brands during their meeting at Malacañang on Wednesday.
READ: Aquino welcomes emperor, empress of Japan in Malacañang
The imperial couple, who last visited the Philippines in 1962, shared memories of Baguio and Tagaytay with Aquino, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message.
Coloma said they also talked about “heavier traffic volume in NCR (National Capital Region) due to increased automobile sales, mostly of Japanese make; (and) significant presence of Japanese retailer Uniqlo and the Heattech technology.”
Uniqlo is a popular Japanese clothing brand that is known for its thermal underclothes that feature “Heattech technology.” It has numerous shops in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Aquino has attributed in the past the worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila to the reported increase in purchasing power of Filipinos and higher car sales.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario further said, “During the meeting, there was an exchange of pleasantries.”
“The President and Mrs. (Corazon “Pinky”) Abellada talked about the significant increase in Filipino visitors to Japan,” he added.
“As Their Majesties will be visiting IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), the President & the Emperor spoke extensively about its importance to global agricultural developments,” Del Rosario explained.
“The meeting was characterized by warmth and congeniality,” he said.
The emperor and empress are in the country for a five-day visit that marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan.
They are set to visit IRRI on Friday.