The Philippine delegation to Japan, led by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, has assured one of the largest and most influential Japanese economic organizations that the Philippines is the right and trusted partner for their investments.

“In the Philippines, you are in the right place, at the right time, with the right partners, and the right opportunities to win big,” the Finance Chief said during the High-Level Courtesy Meeting and Roundtable Discussion between the Philippine Delegation and the Kankeiren Executive Committee on Thursday in Osaka.

Led by Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto, the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren) represents approximately 1,300 members, including Japan’s most prominent conglomerates, multinational corporations, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), spanning advanced manufacturing, electronics, energy, infrastructure, finance, and digital innovation.

“We are very happy and proud to be contributing to the economy of the Philippines,” Matsumoto said.

The high-level meeting served as a platform to demonstrate the Philippine government’s strong commitment to deepening its partnership with Kansai’s top business leaders.

The Philippine team was composed of Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan; Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque; Energy Secretary Sharon Garin; and senior officials from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

During the meeting, Recto hailed Japan as one of the Philippines’ longest and strongest partners in growth, citing the country’s two “A-” investment-grade ratings from leading Japanese credit rating agencies.

“This is your vote of confidence in our fiscal management, our investment climate, and our growth trajectory ? and we intend to keep earning it,” he said.

He also assured Japanese investors that the Philippine government has undertaken sweeping reforms to make the country one of the most attractive and hospitable destinations for foreign investments in Asia.

Foremost among these is the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act, which provides a more competitive and generous package of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.

The law also resolves a long-standing concern of Japanese exporters by exempting export-oriented enterprises from value-added tax.

The Finance Chief further spotlighted that the Philippines is not only one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but also ASEAN’s fastest-growing digital economy, the second-largest global hub for services delivery, and among the top shipbuilding nations worldwide.

“We make great ships that carry economies forward,” he said.

Recto also underscored the Philippines’ demographic sweet spot, with a median age of just 25 years old, offering Japan a unique strategic opportunity to form a powerful demographic partnership.

“Paired with Japan’s median age of 49, together we can form a powerful demographic partnership: your capital and technology, our talent and market,” he said.

The Philippine delegation is in Osaka, Japan, to convene the Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint Committee Meeting on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation. DOF Information Management Service