1st Filipina recognized under Japanese Reiwa era

Manila, Aug. 17 -- Ma. Elena Laurel-Loinaz has been conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays for her contribution in bridging Tokyo and Manila relations, making her the first Filipina to be feted under Japan's new Reiwa Era,

Laurel-Loinaz, daughter of first Filipino Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel III, served as the president of the Philippine-Japan Ladies Association (PJLA) for 13 years.

In a congratulatory speech, Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda acknowledged the educational and socio-cultural programs she initiated at the PJLA, which encouraged exchanges between Filipinos and the Japanese.

Haneda said these programs gave the association's members the opportunity "to share the richness of the Japanese culture" an...