TOKYO, Japan — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos felt the love of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as they were cheered by more than 300 OFWs during their meeting with the Filipino community here.

The festive celebration, the first event attended by the President, became even more lively when the First Couple entered the ballroom of the Imperial Palace Hotel.

“First order of business: meeting the Filipino community! Our first day in Japan would not be complete without spending time with our kababayan, who have built lives and dreams so far from home. We were welcomed with warm smiles, tears, hugs, and cheers,” said Mrs. Marcos in a Facebook post.

“Iba talaga ang puso ng Pinoy! (The Pinoys’ heart is different),” the First Lady added.

Aside from the First Couple, the OFWs also cheered the Cabinet members who joined President Marcos in his first official visit to Japan.

In his speech, the President encouraged the Filipinos in Japan to seize opportunities available to them while remaining proud of their Filipino identity.

“Integration does not mean assimilation. It does not mean forgetting your roots and abandoning who you are. Our greatest asset is our unique identity,” Marcos said.

He assured the Filipinos in Japan of the government’s continuing commitment to protect their welfare, underscoring the importance of the Filipino community in strengthening Philippine-Japan relations.

Marcos also expressed gratitude for the contributions and sacrifices of Filipinos working across various sectors in Japan, including factories, offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and construction.

Some 350,000 Filipinos live and work in Japan.

The President stressed that his administration continues to work tirelessly to safeguard the rights, welfare, and safety of OFWs.

He described the young Filipinos in Japan as the “torch bearers” for the next 70 years of Philippine-Japan relations and expressed confidence they would continue to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

The President likewise paid tribute to the older members of the Filipino community who paved the way for the younger generations to thrive in Japan.

Marcos said his visit, undertaken at the invitation of the Japanese government, aims to further deepen the bilateral cooperation in areas such as labor protection, trade and commerce, defense and regional security, and people-to-people exchanges.