Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin 'Benhur' Abalos Jr. on Sunday said that the Philippines is prepared to assist Japan in repatriating the remains of Japanese soldiers who perished in the country during World War II (WWII).

In a statement, Abalos stated that the DILG and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will coordinate closely with Japan to achieve a seamless recovery and return of the remains.

Abalos added that Japan is one of the government's closest partners and allies, and the country stands ready to assist them in the recovery of the bodies of their dead soldiers.

There were more than 300,000 Japanese soldiers who died between 1942 and 1945.

On Thursday, Abalos and DFA Deputy Assistant Secretary Raphael Hermoso met with officials from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) led by Minister for Economic Affairs Nihei Daisuke of the Japanese Embassy.

As the coordinator of the repatriation effort, Abalos stated that the DILG is in a strategic position to guarantee that the process is well coordinated with local government entities where some of the soldiers' remains are located.

According to the DILG Chief, the department will mobilize its resources and manpower to help Japan in the repatriation in accordance with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed by the Philippine and Japanese governments in May 2018.

The said MOC entails collecting, handling, storing, and shipping the remains.