TOKYO, Japan — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has arrived in Japan for a five-day state visit to one of the Philippines’ longtime and most important allies.
Marcos arrived on Wednesday at exactly 5:36 pm (Tokyo time) at the Tokyo International Airport.
The Chief Executive’s entourage meanwhile includes First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, key members of the Cabinet, and several leading lawmakers like Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Marcos’ state visit to Japan is seen to have a huge bearing on economic development and mutual defense, as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) previously announced that seven bilateral deals are expected to be signed by the two governments.
Aside from infrastructure and defense, the other agreements include topics concerning agriculture and information and communications technology.
READ: DFA: 7 key bilateral deals to be inked during Marcos’ visit to Japan
A business delegation would also accompany Marcos in meetings expected while the President is in Tokyo — discussions that seek to direct investments toward the Philippines.
Marcos is expected to meet members of Japan’s Imperial Family before having discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
While this is Marcos’ first official visit to Japan as the Philippines’ sitting President, DFA said he and Kishida have already met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States held last September 2022.
After this, the President would also have a chance to meet the Filipino community in Japan, as he has done on previous trips.
Marcos’ visit to Japan is his ninth official overseas trip since he assumed the presidency last June 30. Prior to this, the President went to Indonesia and Singapore for his inaugural state visit and then headed to New York for the UNGA.
He also went back to Singapore for business meetings in time for the Formula One Grand Prix, a trip that was criticized by several progressive groups.
READ: Palace: Marcos’ Singapore trip for F1 race ‘productive’
He then went to the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Cambodia, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Thailand, the Asean-European Union meet in Belgium last December, before visiting China for another state visit, and Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.
READ: Davos will be Marcos’ 8th foreign trip in under 7 months