President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. returns today, 22 June, from a working trip to Japan, where he strengthened business ties with the Japanese, pushed for tourism cooperation, and engaged with the Filipino community.

On Friday, Marcos met with Japanese tourism stakeholders to promote the enhanced infrastructure and connectivity in the Philippines aimed at improving the experience for Japanese visitors to the country.

“There are now 214 flights between Manila and Tokyo carrying both Filipino and Japanese tourists,” Marcos said. “We are working to create more jobs, grow businesses, and ensure that communities feel the impact of a strong tourism sector.”

He met with representatives from the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan Association of Travel Agents, Japan-Philippines Tourism Council, Kansai Airports, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, among others.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco noted that Japan ranks third in tourist arrivals to the Philippines.

Marcos also discussed a waste-to-energy project with Japan’s Kanadevia Corp. in partnership with Philippine Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco), aiming to address Metro Manila’s waste problem through large-scale energy recovery.

“This initiative will turn thousands of tons of waste into clean energy, reduce flooding, create jobs and help clean up communities,” he said.

PhilEco specializes in waste facility design and operation, while Kanadevia provides advanced environmental technologies and WtE systems.

Marcos also met with officials of Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., a major Japanese shipbuilder with operations in Cebu. The company is expanding its Balamban shipyard, investing in capital equipment and R&D to support its production of bulk carriers, tankers, and container ships.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced a new partnership to boost the country’s disaster response capabilities using satellite technology.

“With better satellites, we can track typhoons and respond to disasters more quickly, help farmers plan smarter, and keep our communities safer,” Marcos said.

The partnership builds on JAXA’s earlier collaborations with the Department of Science and Technology, including the launch of DIWATA-1 and -2 and the MAYA nanosatellites.