Ilongga educator receives Japan’s Order of the Rising Su

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

An Ilongga educator has been named among the Philippine recipients of Japan’s 2026 Spring Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals, recognizing her decadeslong work in strengthening ties between Japan and the Philippines.

The Japanese government announced April 29 that Dr. Minda Jamilosa Formacion, former president of the Philippine Association of Japanese Government Scholars, or Philajames, Visayas chapter, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays.

The award honors Formacion’s contributions to promoting friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and the Philippines.

Formacion currently serves on the board of directors of Philajames Visayas chapter.

She played a vital role in establishing the organization in 1996 to support activities related to Japanese government scholarships in the Visayas region.

For the past 30 years, Formacion has helped promote the Japanese government scholarship program and organize former scholars in the region.

Through those efforts, many scholars from the Visayas have become active contributors to Philippine society and have served as bridges between Japan and the Philippines.

Formacion also worked to promote understanding of Japan through Japanese language education.

In 1999, she helped establish a Japanese language course at the University of the Philippines Visayas while also promoting Japanese culture.

Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun is one of the country’s national decorations and is conferred on individuals who have made distinguished contributions in fields such as international relations, culture, and public service.

The conferment recognizes Formacion’s long-standing contributions to mutual understanding, friendship, and goodwill between Japan and the Philippines.

Formacion also received the Foreign Minister’s Commendation in 2025.

Japanese officials expressed hope that more young people from the Philippines, especially in the Visayas, will continue to study in Japan and help advance relations between the two countries.