BY: CARLITO C. DAR
BAGUIO CITY, Sept.
17 (PIA) - - Officials, members and partners of the Filipino-Japanese
Foundation of Northern Luzon Inc(FJFNI) gathered in this
Summer Capital last Sunday for a momentous triple-anniversary
celebration.
Opening the day
were ceremonial rites and wreath-laying at the commemorative marker at the View
Deck along the Kennon Road at 8:00 am,
for the 110th anniversary of the entry of the Japanese workers who helped in
the construction of Kennon Road.
The main program
followed at the Sr. Theresa Unno
Memorial Hall of “Abong” in Bukaneg Street,
the Baguio office of the FJFNCI, where
the foundation also celebrated its
26th founding anniversary and the 41st founding anniversary of the
Filipino-Japanese Friendship Association of Northern Luzon Inc. (FJFANCI).
The gathering was
attended by the FJFNCI and FJFANCI officers and members from Northern Luzon,
and other Japanese guests such as Shoichi Maekawa of Baguio Scholarship
Foundation and Mariko Higashimura of International Angel Foundation, and local
officials headed by Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr., Benguet
Governor Nestor Fongwan and La Trinidad,
Benguet mayor Edna Tabanda.
Invited guest of
honor for the event was Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Toshinao
Urabe , who was represented by Minister and Consul General Keizo Takewaka.
Ambassador Urabe,
in his message read by Takewaka, expresses his honor and pleasure to extend
Japan’s congratulations to the foundation’s triple anniversary celebration, as
he also shared that he is proud that their compatriots have been part of the historical building of
Kennon Road, which has become the symbolic gateway to Baguio City and the
province of Benguet.
Urabe also
acknowledged and congratulated FJFNCI and FJFANCI, for their valuable
contributions and accomplishments, as
integral part of a prosperous and peaceful Baguio community.
He called
on the foundations’ officers and members
to take pride of their achievements, continue their good work and remain
to be instrumental in maintaining the harmonious and peaceful relationship
between the Philippines and Japan.
FJPNCI is currently
under the chairmanship of Carlos Teraoka
while FJFANLI has Dorothy Killey
as President. The foundations have a
total of 1,944 members that include
Japanese nationals and Japanese descendants and their spouses, up to the
fifth generation.
The Foundations
also maintain 232 scholarship grantees
in the high school and college levels, where some are through partnership with Japan-based non-government organizations, the Baguio Scholarship Foundation and
International Angel Foundations. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
0 comments:
Post a Comment