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On September 19, Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda hosted a reception at his residence to celebrate the awarding of the Foreign Minister’s Commendation to the Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni (PHILFEJA), the umbrella organization for Japanese scholarship alumni organizations in the Philippines.

PHILFEJA President Atty. Powell Del Rosario of the JICA Alumni Association of the Philippines (JAAP) received the award from Ambassador Haneda on behalf of his organization. Mr. JJ Samuel Soriano of The Philippines-Japan Society (PJS) shared a toast in honor of this special occasion.

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Inspiration can sometimes be drawn from the unlikeliest of places. For ONE Championship featherweight contender Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, a fictional storybook character has had a profound effect on his upbringing. Today, as a professional mixed martial artist, Kelly dreams of giving back to the Filipino people just like his childhood hero Robin Hood.

1. Japan heartily welcomes the enactment of the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regarding the Mindanao peace process in the Republic of the Philippines through the signature of H.E. Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Republic of the Philippines, on July 26, 2018.
2. The enactment of this law is an important step toward the establishment of the new autonomous government (Bangsamoro) in Mindanao. Japan sincerely commends the efforts of the Government of the Philippines, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and all others concerned.
3. Japan strongly hopes that the transition process toward the inauguration of Bangsamoro will besteadily implemented, including ratification of the organic law and establishment of theBangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).
4. Japan has been supporting the peace process for many years under the conviction that peace in Mindanao will contribute to regional peace and stability. As declared in the Japan-Philippines Joint Statement on Bilateral Cooperation for the Next Five Years announced in October 2017, Japan will enhance its support for the development of Mindanao in a wide range of fields, in accordance with progress in the peace process.

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The Mindanao Peace Process

1. Through peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines and the MILF, the Framework Agreement was signed in October 2012, and the Comprehensive Agreement was signed in March 2014.
2. Based on the final peace agreement, the new autonomous government (Bangsamoro) willbe established through the following transition process: (i) the enactment of the organic law;(ii) the ratification of the organic law; (iii) the establishment of the BTA; and (iv) the election ofthe Bangsamoro Assembly.
3. The Government of Japan has been contributing to the advancement of the peace process and to the reconstruction and development of the Mindanao region through efforts that include: (i) the dispatch of development experts to the Social and Economic Development Section of the International Monitoring Team; (ii) the concentrated implementation of economic cooperation projects such as extending Grassroots Grant Assistance for Human Security in former conflict-affected areas (Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD)); and (iii) participation in the International Contact Group (ICG)that provides advice by attending peace talks as an observer.
4. In addition, the Government of Japan expressed that, from a mid-to-long term perspective, it will match its support with the progress made in the process for the establishment of a new autonomous government in Bangsamoro by enhancing its assistance for development in Mindanao, which Japan has been implementing under J-BIRD in a wide range of areas, in