VIA GRAPHIC PLUS | EMBASSY EXPRESS — On 9 April 2026, Ambassador ENDO Kazuya attended and delivered a speech at the 84th Commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) held at the Mount Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., members of the government, Bataan Governor Jose Garcia, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairperson Regalado Jose, veterans, U.S. Embassy Officials, and others were present at the event.

In his remarks, Ambassador Endo paid tribute to the sacrifices made during the war and expressed his deep respect for the veterans. He also highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines amid the volatile global landscape, emphasizing the ongoing deepening of cooperation between the two countries and other partners across various sectors, including in security and the economy. 

Ambassador Endo also paid a courtesy call on Bataan Governor Jose Garcia, where they exchanged views on a range of topics, including the potential for cooperation between Japan and the Philippines at the regional level. 

Earlier on April 8, Ambassador Endo visited the Government Arsenal in Bataan, an agency under the DND, where Japanese machine tools installed in the 1960s remain operational to this day.