SGV Partners and Managers paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, H.E. Ambassador Endo Kazuya. The visit took place on 5 June 2024. Ambassador Endo assumed his position on 4 April 2024.
SGV Partners and Managers with Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines, H.E. Ambassador Endo Kazuya (center)
The delegation, led by SGV Chairman and Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan, included SGV Vice Chairman and Deputy Managing Partner Maria Vivian C. Ruiz, Japan Business Services (JBS) Assurance Leader Michael C. Sabado, JBS Tax Leader Jonald R. Vergara, and members of SGV’s JBS team, Associate Principal and Japanese Business Council member Hiroshi Nakagawa, and Senior Director and Japanese Business Council member Kazuma Nakagomi.
Wilson introduced SGV, outlining the Firm's services and its dedication to fostering Japanese investments and supporting Japanese clients in the Philippines. Vivian highlighted SGV's role as an EY member firm and the close collaboration with EY JBS colleagues in Japan and Asean. The SGV JBS team outlined their focus on addressing the needs of Japanese clients.
Ambassador Endo, joined by Minister for Economic Affairs Nihei Daisuke and Financial Attache Sugimoto Kensuke, expressed appreciation for the visit and acknowledged the longstanding relationship between the Philippines and Japan, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and developing the ties established by their predecessors.
The meeting also covered discussions on tax issues faced by Japanese companies, including the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) tax legislation pending in Congress. Insights and implications of the proposed tax measures on incentives for Japanese companies were exchanged.
Wilson extended a formal invitation to Ambassador Endo to attend the launch of the latest version of Doing Business in the Philippines in Japanese, scheduled for the week of 5 August 2024, which will also welcome SGV's Japanese clients. As a token of goodwill, Wilson also presented Ambassador Endo with a copy of SGV Founder Washington SyCip’s biography Wash: Only a Bookkeeper, A Biography of Washington Z. SyCip by Dr. Jose “Butch” Y. Dalisay Jr.
