Manila, May 1 -- Japan's special envoy to the prime minister, Kishida Fumio, is optimistic that the Philippines-with its strong partnership with Japan- would be among the first states to get a share in Tokyo's new USD10 billion initiative to support Asian nations amid the oil crisis.

Kishida, who currently serves as supreme advisor to Japan's Parliamentary Association of Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

In a press conference Thursday evening, he said the letter formally stated Takaichi's "desire" for closer Philippine-Japan cooperation on energy resiliency under the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia (POWERR As...