FORMER National Telecommunications Commission chief and now Commission on Audit Chairman Gamaliel A. Cordoba received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon from Japanese Emperor Naruhito for his contributions in advancing the cooperation between Japan and the Philippines in the field of telecommunications.
The prestigious award was conferred to Cordoba at the residence of Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.
In his congratulatory message, Ambassador Koshikawa cited Cordoba’s pivotal role in the application of ISDB-T in the Philippines.
“Without Commissioner Cordoba’s visionary leadership and unwavering dedication, the deployment and dissemination of ISDB-T in the Philippines certainly would have never materialized,” said Ambassador Koshikawa, referring to the ISDB-T, a terrestrial digital television-broadcasting standard devised by Japan.
In cooperation with the Japanese public and private sector, Cordoba successfully led the efforts for the smooth launch and dissemination of ISDB-T in the Philippines.
Cordoba thanked the Japanese government for the award and Japan’s crucial role in the Philippines’ migration to digital television.
He also complimented President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s hard push for the digitization of all government transactions and processes.
Cordoba firmly believes that collaboration on this effort will lead to even stronger cooperation between the Philippines and Japan.
The ceremony was witnessed by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, former President and current House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Senate Majority Floor Leader Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, and NTC Commissioner Ella Lopez, along with Cordoba’s family and friends.