Japan consul visits BARMM, assures continuous support for the region
BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES • 17:45 PM Sat Feb 1, 2020
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By:
Gilmar A. Lao and Edwin Fernandez
Great partners. Japan Consul General Yoshiaki Miwa (left) visits the office of BARMM Bangasamoro parliament Speaker Pangalian Balindong (right).
COTABATO CITY – A Japanese diplomatic official has visited the Bangsamoro parliament to officially inform the regional officials of the strengthened and revitalized diplomatic office in Davao City ready to serve the people of Bangsamoro region.
Japan Consul General Yoshiaki Miwa on Friday visited Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Speaker Pangalian Balindong at the latter’s office here.
Balindong welcomed Miwa, who is the first Consul General of the Japan’s Consulate General Office in Davao City.
Miwa told Balindong and the people of BARMM that that from a simple Consular Office, the Japanese government has upgraded it into Consulate General to improve its services.
One of the services offered by the consulate general is visa processing operations where Mindanaoans including the Bangsamoro people and foreigners in Mindanao no longer need to travel to Manila for Japanese visas.
The office covers 27 provinces and 33 cities of Mindanao.
“It’s an honor to serve Mindanao most especially the Bangsamoro, and that is why we upgraded our simple consular office to consulate general. The name is almost the same but organization-wise, it’s totally different. Now, we are directly connected to our headquarters,” Miwa told Balindong to explain the consulate’s improved services.
The visibly elated Balindong took the opportunity to express his gratefulness to the Japan government and the Japanese for all the assistance they have extended to BARMM and the Bangsamoro people.
“I have never doubted your capability. We will forever be thankful to the Japanese people,” Balindong said.
Miwa said the two governments, Japan and BARMM, should be “great partners.”
“We are Asian countries so we should be helping each other. Our intention is to strengthen our partnership with this region since you have established now the BTA. This is very vital for you to create a new stable system,” Miwa stressed.
BARMM Interim Chief Minister Al Haj Murad Ibrahim was present during the opening of the Japanese consulate general in Davao City.
It can be recalled that Japan is one of the countries that supported the peace process in Mindanao and had been consistently supporting sustainable economic development of the Philippines.