On 19 to 20 October, Japanese Embassy in the Philippines harge d’affaires Ono Sho visited Leyte to attend the commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landings at the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Palo City.

The event was organized by the Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, and was attended by Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla, Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown, and other Philippine government officials.

In his remarks, Ono remembered the memory of those who have fallen and honored the steadfast service of Filipino veterans to their country. He emphasized Japan’s un-wavering commitment as a peace-loving nation, reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

He also expressed the renewed determination to further strengthen Japan-Philippines relations, as both nations will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations next year.

Ono also paid a courtesy call on Governor of Petilla, where they exchanged views on the promising potential for Japan-Philippines cooperation in Leyte. Japan Information and Culture Center