10 June 2025 -- Mr. Yoshiaki Miwa, President of the Mindanao-Japan Science and Technology Platform (MJ-STeP), paid a courtesy visit to Cagayan de Oro City to discuss potential areas of collaboration between Japan and the city government. He met with City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy, alongside Local Economic and Investment Promotion Officer (LEDIPO) John W. Asuncion and Assistant LEDIPO Raelita E. Legaspi, to explore strategic avenues for partnership, especially in the fields of science, technology, industry-academe collaboration, and sister city twinning.

Strengthening old ties, sparking new ideas: Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy, LEDIPO John W. Asuncion, and Mr. Yoshiaki Miwa, President of the Mindanao-Japan Science and Technology Platform (MJ-STeP) and former Consul General of Japan in Davao, engage in a focused discussion during a courtesy call at the Office of the City Mayor.

The Cagayan de Oro Trade and Investment Promotion Center's (Oro-TIPC) Investment Services and International Relations Divisions prepared a presentation for Mr. Miwa tailor-fit to his request for current investment trends, innovation, and investment prospects, aligned with the city's regional leadership role, and referencing past collaborations with Cagayan de Oro through academic linkages aimed at fostering stronger ties among LGUs, industries, and the academe.

Brief visit, enduring connection: Mr. Miwa meets with the TIPC team to explore current investment trends and potential areas of cooperation before LEDIPO Asuncion caps the brief but fruitful visit with a warm sendoff at the front steps of the Executive Building.

Mr. Miwa, a seasoned diplomat who formerly served as Consul-General of Japan in Davao and Japanese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands, currently leads MJ-STeP—a platform dedicated to promoting academic exchanges, research collaborations, and industrial growth across Mindanao and the Asia-Pacific. Through MJ-STeP, scholarships and joint research projects connect talented scholars, Japanese SMEs, and local stakeholders in areas such as sustainable agriculture, energy, and digital transformation.

Mr. Miwa expressed his continued support for strengthening strategic partnerships with Cagayan de Oro and Mindanao and emphasized the importance of inter-local cooperation, knowledge sharing, and technological innovation in shaping the region’s future.

Cagayan de Oro is honored to welcome a visionary partner and remains committed to building on the momentum of science-, and investment-driven development, through regional and global partnerships.n