Japanese ambassador tours Toyota plant to unveil modern jeepney as mining firm protests coal auction
Ambassador Kitagawa Katsuro toured Toyota's Santa Rosa plant to launch the modernized Toyota Tamaraw jeepney, stressing its cultural role, while Semirara Mining and Power Corp. denounced the DOE's coal auction for procedural opacity.
Japan's new envoy to the Philippines, Kitagawa Katsuro, made one of his inaugural engagements a visit to Toyota's Santa Rosa, Laguna plant, where he witnessed the debut of the Toyota Tamaraw, a modern reinterpretation of the country's beloved jeepney. He described the jeepney as more than transport, calling it a cultural staple that links generations and embodies the spirit of the Japan-Philippines partnership. The ceremony gathered Toyota officials and public-transport representatives.
In a separate issue, Semirara Mining and Power Corp. publicly challenged the Department of Energy's recent coal auction, alleging a lack of bid bulletins, pre-qualification procedures, and transparency, and criticizing a new administrative order that would compel the firm to relinquish its equipment, contrary to Presidential Decree 972. SMPC warned that the shift toward awarding the contract to the highest bidder, regardless of mining experience, could lead to no coal production and no revenue for the government. The energy ministry said it intends to restart the bidding process within the year.
Why it matters
The story shows how diplomatic outreach ties into business initiatives and highlights disputes over energy procurement that could affect the Philippines' power supply.
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