Duterte, a charismatic politician known at home for his folksy charm, dropped many of the formal protocols normally associated with visits by a head of government as he took Abe on a tour of his beloved southern home city of Davao. A ceremony saw Abe “adopting” a two-year-old eagle named “Sakura” after the famous Japanese cherry blossom. He smiled and laughed throughout the eagle ceremony, and ended his Davao trip at a Japanese-language school where he was greeted by singing and flag-waving children. Abe was the first foreign leader to visit the Philippines since Duterte took office just over six months ago. Abe was also the first head of government to visit Davao, the largest city in the southern Philippines that is 1,500 kilometers from Manila.

Source: Manila Times January 13, 2017 17:14 UTC