Japanese contingent to honor Tacloban residents who perished during typhoon Yolanda

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 7): Japanese contingent to honor Tacloban residents who perished during typhoon Yolanda

A Japanese contingent that is part of the Pacific Partnership 2014 (PP 14) will honor those who perished during typhoon Yolanda by offering 1,000 paper craft cranes during a symbolic ceremony that will be held at the Tacloban City Convention Center around 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Takashi Inoue Japan deputy director of the Self Defense Force Public Affairs Office said that the paper craft crane is similar to lei in the Philippines. They were made by Japanese nationals, mostly sailors who were part of the PP 14.

“We Japanese nationals as a friend nation of the Philippines want to remember the victims of typhoon Yolanda,” he said.

More than 2,000 Taclobanons lost their lives at the height of Yolanda.

Preparations for Tuesday’s activity were done following the courtesy call made by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Captain Yoichi Matsui who is also the deputy commander of the PP 14 before Mayor Alfred Romualdez at the Tacloban City Hall Monday morning.

During the visit, Inoue said that Matsui explained to the mayor their intention to “appease the people of Tacloban and Leyte after the Yolanda disaster.”

After the ceremony, several participants led by Mayor Alfred will have the opportunity to tour JS Kunisaki, which has been serving as mission platform of the multinationals joining the partnership.

JS Kunisaki is anchored off the coast of Tacloban, Inoue said.

Meanwhile, Inoue expressed gladness that the city of Tacloban is moving on after suffering the wrath of Yolanda.

He first arrived in this city when the Japanese Self Defense Force embarked on ‘Operation Sangkay’ and provided various humanitarian activities and relief efforts to victims of the typhoon in December last year.

In this partnership, the Japanese team is composed of 150 sailors and 40 medical teams tasked to do humanitarian mission in two weeks side by side with their counterparts from the United States, Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=660304