Courtesy Call on the Gifu Pref. Governor
Gifu Prefecture Governor Hajime Furuta (left) and Consul General Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat (right) exchange gifts:
a Quincentennial Commemorative basket containing products from the Philippines and indigo-dyed fabric
from Gujo Hon-Zome, a business designated as a Gifu Prefecture important intangible cultural asset
25 August 2022 - Philippine Consul General in Nagoya Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat and Gifu Prefecture Governor Hajime Furuta explored areas of cooperation between Gifu Prefecture and the Consulate General.
They discussed their common interest in promoting tourism and partnerships between Gifu and local government units in the Philippines.
Governor Furuta had previously visited the Philippines as an APEC official from Japan and subsequently in his capacity as Gifu Governor.
He acknowledged the contribution of Filipinos to the economy and cultural diversity in Gifu. Filipinos account for the biggest number of foreign residents (24% in 2021) and second largest number of foreign workers (23%) in the prefecture.
Plant Tour and Meeting at Ibiden Co. Ltd.
Mr. Takeshi Aoki (4th from right) and Mr. Koji Kawashima (3rd from left) are joined by
Consul General Balatbat (4th from left), Consul Fernando Beup, Jr. (3rd from right) and IPI tech trainees
Following a brief tour at the Ibiden Co. Ltd. plant in Ogaki City, the Consulate team met with Mr. Takeshi Aoki, President and CEO, and Representative Director of Ibiden Co. Ltd.
Mr. Aoki reaffirmed the importance of Ibiden’s operations in the Philippines, the company’s largest and most important overseas investment in Asia. The Consulate team also met online with officials from Ibiden Philippines, Inc. (IPI) and onsite with Filipino trainees in Ibiden’s plant in Ogaki City.
Ibiden confirmed its plans to expand the number of Filipino trainees to be deployed to Ibiden Japan and its affiliated companies in engineering and construction, food processing, automobile parts production, industrial gas logistics, etc.
Consul General Balatbat thanked Ibiden for its confidence in the Philippines. She said, “Ibiden is a shining example of a successful Japanese investment in the Philippines. Its use of the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) is a win-win arrangement which has provided Filipino interns an opportunity to earn and learn while in Japan and return to the Philippines with more experience, greater technical knowhow, and better job prospects at IPI.”
FilCom Gathering and Open Forum
Consul General Balatbat and Consul Beup together with the Filipino Community in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture
The Consulate Team also attended a get-together with members of the Filipino community in Ogaki City, organized by Ms. Edna Ono and Fr. Rey Tibon.
Consul General Balatbat and Consul Fernando Beup, Jr. held a dialogue with the Filipino community and addressed queries and concerns from the attendees.
The Consulate Team also shared information on the services being offered by the Philippine Consulate General in Nagoya and thanked the Consulate’s contacts in the Filipino community for helping disseminate information to Filipino nationals in the area.
END.
