Yamaha Music Philippines Partners with Philippine Department of Education to Enhance Music Education Through Japan Collaboration
Recognized as a Japan–Philippines Friendship Year (70th Anniversary of Diplomatic Normalization) Commemorative Project
Yamaha Corporation (hereinafter “YAMAHA”) announces that its sales subsidiary in the Republic of the Philippines (hereinafter “the Philippines”), Yamaha Music Philippines Inc, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Philippine Department of Education in February 2026 to enhance the quality of elementary education. The signing ceremony for this MoU has been recognized as a commemorative project of the Japan–Philippines Friendship Year, marking the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations.
Scene from the MoU signing ceremony with the Philippine Department of Education
Left: Hon. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, Secretary of the Philippine Department of Education
Right: Koichiro Onoe, President, Yamaha Music Philippines
Since 2015, with the goal of “realizing a peaceful society where children around the world can live emotionally enriched lives through music, YAMAHA has developed its School Project, focusing primarily on emerging markets. In collaboration with government education agencies in various countries, the project promotes music and instrumental education in public schooling through curriculum development support, teacher training, and the provision and sale of educational materials and instruments.
To date, this initiative has provided opportunities for approximately 4.25 million children (as of December 2025) across 10 countries—including Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Colombia, the Philippines, and Mexico—to enjoy music and playing instruments.
In the Philippines, as part of an intercity cooperation initiative between Hamamatsu City and Davao City, YAMAHA began a pilot introduction of music education using recorders in public elementary schools in Davao City in December 2024. Beginning in July 2025, under the MEXT’s EDU-Port Nippon program for overseas deployment of Japanese-style education, and through public-private partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), YAMAHA has supported study visits by Philippine education officials to observe music education practices in Japan and the ASEAN region.
As a result of these collaborative efforts among related organizations, YAMAHA has concluded this MoU at the Philippine central government level. Starting June 2026, Japanese-style music education utilizing Pianica and mini keyboards will be piloted in 10 public elementary schools in the Western Visayas region.
YAMAHA will continue working with relevant institutions to contribute to the improvement of education quality in the Philippines.
Comments from Stakeholders
Takeshi Miyazawa
(Director, Office for International Cooperation Planning, International Affairs Division, Minister’s Secretariat, MEXT)
“In recent years, the global importance of fostering non-cognitive skills in school education has been increasingly recognized. Yamaha’s School Project, which nurtures children’s social skills and emotional development through music education, is expected to serve as a representative initiative that communicates the strengths of Japan’s holistic education—cultivating “intellect, virtue, and body”—to the world. We hope that this project will nurture the rich hearts of Filipino children, while also contributing to further strengthening exchanges between Japan and the Philippines in this milestone 70th anniversary year.”
Takashi Baba
(Chief Representative, JICA Philippines Office)
“Based on the MoU signed between Yamaha and JICA in July of last year, we have jointly implemented initiatives enabling Department of Education officials to deepen their understanding of Japanese-style music education. We are pleased that JICA’s long-standing trust and network in the Philippines, built through ODA, have been able to support Yamaha in forging an MoU with the Department of Education. From the standpoint of improving non-cognitive skills—an area gaining global attention—this School Project contributes to raising the quality of elementary education in the Philippines. We look forward to continued expansion of learning opportunities that leverage Japanese expertise and to deeper educational cooperation between the Philippines and Japan.”
The product information, contact details, and other content included in this news release are based on information available as of the date of announcement. Please note that such information is subject to change without notice after the announcement date.
Product names, company names, and other proper nouns mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of Yamaha or the respective companies.
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