The Government of Japan announced on November 3, 2021 the conferment of The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon on Dr. Ines Yamanouchi Mallari, school president of Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku, in recognition of her contribution to promoting academic exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the Philippines.

Mallari became the president of Nikkeijin Kokusai School in 2001 and joined the establishment of Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku in 2002, where she has assumed the post of school president since 2010. With her initiative, these schools have provided a wide range of curriculum related to Japan, including Japanese language. She has been exerting her efforts to introduce Japanese culture and promote the cultural exchange between two countries.

Mallari, as a third-generation Japanese descendant herself, has also contributed to the improvement of the status of Nikkeijin and the bilateral exchange between Japan and the Philippines through activities such as supporting the development of young generation of Nikkei-jin community, organization of annual memorial service for the remembrance of Japanese settlers in Davao. In particular, she has greatly contributed to the investigation and interviews of Japanese descendants for the recognition of their Japanese nationality.

The government of Japan extends its sincere congratulations to Dr. Ines Yamanouchi Mallari, and hopes that she will continue to take an active role in further strengthening the close relations between our two nations. JICC