Japan has offered new rules for the retrieval of remains of its soldiers who died in the Philippines during World War II, after a Japanese nongovernmental organization mixed the remains of Filipinos with those of dead Japanese soldiers, leading to a suspension of recovery operations in 2010.

The Foreign Affairs Department recently received a three-page proposal from the Japanese Embassy in Manila that will be subject to negotiations with Philippine agencies, particularly, the National Museum and the National Commission on Indigenous People, officials from the two countries said.

"The Memorandum was drafted by the Japanese government in line with the standing suspension of recovery activities by the Philippine government, and the understanding reached by both sides that any resumption shall be contingent on improved guidelines," Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Theresa Lazaro said in a letter to the agencies whose comments for the memorandum are being sought.