Our quid pro quo relation with Japan

Yesterday, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived for a two-day state visit to the Philippines. This is the prime minister's third visit to the Philippines since he assumed power in Japan. But this visit is a reciprocal visit after President Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte visited him in Tokyo, so in a way, it is returning the favor to President Duterte. Incidentally, the visit of President Duterte to Japan resulted in our getting a patrol boat for the use of the Philippine Coast Guard. There is no question that Japan is the best partner the Philippines ever had after the debacle of World War II.

Metro Cebu is perhaps the best example of this economic partnership with Japan. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport was done through the Japan International Cooperation Agency. So was the Marcelo Fernan Bridge (I believe that the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge or the First Bridge was under a build-operate-transfer scheme with builder Ponce, but I'm not sure if JICA was involved in the funding) which was done through JICA.

In the mid-90s, Cebu City widened its many narrow thoroughfares. Among them was B. Rodriquez (where the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center is located. It was a narrow two-lane road with a single bailey bridge crossing the Guadalupe River. Then on to V. Rama Avenue, which was also a twoland road. JICA-led Metro Cebu Development Projects (I, II & III) widened those roads, including the connection from N. Bacalso Avenue to the New Road (where the new St. Peter Chapels stands) that links to M. J. Cuenco Avenue.

Then finally, there's AS Fortuna Avenue in Mandaue City, which was also widened. This is not to mention that the Japanese government built the North and South Bus Terminals, something Cebu City never had in the past. I was very much involved in those projects as road right-of-way (RROW) chairman of MCDP. It is a fact that during many of our meetings with our Japanese counterparts, we often quipped that it was better for Japan to have won World War II and perhaps Filipinos would have acquired the Japanese way of life and discipline that we Filipinos sorely lack.

While we Cebuanos are grateful to the Japanese people, there are others who continue to live in the past. Among them is that activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan which issued a press statement that President Duterte should be cautious of "the Japanese militarist agenda aimed at flexing that country's armed might in the region." The members of Makabayan should read today's geopolitics. Japan is no longer the enemy. They are no longer "militarists." However they have the right to defend themselves under the umbrella of the US Seventh Fleet.

Today's Japan cannot bring back (even if they wanted to) their old imperial ways simply because more than 20 percent of their population is above 65 years old. Yes, Japan is aging and the Japanese government is encouraging their people to have more children because their population demography is very low. In fact, one of the talk points between President Duterte and PM Abe is for the hiring of Filipino nurses for the Japanese hospitals. All they need to know is how to speak Nihonggo. This should be a big boost to our nurses who are paid poorly here.

If I have a selfish motive, how I wish that President Duterte would entice the Japanese railroad giants to invest in railroads in the Philippines. In my book, JR Lines is one of the best railroad companies I've ever tried. Their trains are so on time you do not have to be in the platform 30 minutes before the train arrives. Just be there one or two minutes near the door where the train will stop and it will arrive exactly on time.

Above all, there are a lot of Japanese companies that want to relocate their factories from China. In my book, this window of opportunity doesn't come everyday! Those factories can assure Filipinos of jobs here at home and it would be the greatest thing to happen to the Philippines. A case in point is the expansion of the Tsuneishi Heavy Industries to Balamban, Cebu, which put Cebu in the world map as far as the shipbuilding industry is concerned.

As for our future plans, how I wish that the MCIA get advice from JICA to finally build its second runway because it stretches the use of our international airport well into the future. The Province of Cebu needs freeways from Cebu City to Bogo or Daanbantayan. If we had this constructed, Bogo will only be a 45-minute road trip, unlike today when it takes nearly two hours of driving.

So let's not look at the past history with Japan, rather we should look forward to a better economic, yes even military, ties with Japan.After all, the world is changing fast. Our enemies of the past have become our best partners for economic development. This is why we have a quid pro quo relationship with Japan, who needs us, while we also need them.

* * * For email responses to this article, write to vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.