BIZ BUZZ: Japanese envoy’s special first stop
Having arrived in Manila only last month, Japan’s new envoy to the Philippines already hit the ground running, and among his first stops was a rather fitting one.
Before getting swept up in the whirlwind of diplomatic engagements that come with his new post, Ambassador Kitagawa Katsuro found himself on Tuesday at the Santa Rosa, Laguna, plant of Japanese automotive giant Toyota.
The career diplomat said it was his first corporate engagement since succeeding Kazuya Endo, and it turned out to be quite a special occasion.
He, along with a crowd of Toyota officials and public transport group representatives, was there to witness Toyota’s latest take on one of the Philippines’ most recognizable cultural icons, the jeepney.
Despite being new to the country, Katsuro already appeared to appreciate just how deeply the humble jeepney is woven into Filipino life.
“The jeepney is more than a vehicle,” Katsuro said at the unveiling of the Toyota Tamaraw’s modern public utility vehicle conversion.
“Across generations, it has been indispensable to the daily mobility of the Filipino people—carrying workers to their workplaces, students to their schools and families to their loved ones and it is a part of the nation’s cultural identity,” he added.
For Katsuro, Toyota’s move to transform its iconic Tamaraw utility vehicle into a modern jeepney also carried significance beyond the automotive business.
The ambassador said he sees the vehicle as more than just wheels and gears but also as a reflection of the longstanding partnership between Tokyo and Manila.
“This embodies the spirit of our partnership, mutual respect and the joint creation of solutions that improve people’s lives,” he said.
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