Ambassador Makoto Katsura exchanging Grant Contracts with
Ambassador Benjamin F. Sanvictores, Nihongo Center Foundation, Inc.
Ambassador Makoto Katsura Exchanging Grant Contracts with
Judge Antonina B. Escovilla
Ambassador Makoto Katsura awarding the 2 nd International Manga Award Certificate to Mr. Kriss Sison
Speech Contest winners with Ambassador Makoto Katsura and the Board of Judges
Ambassador Makoto Katsura signed the contracts for Grant Aid for Cultural Grassroots Projects with two Japanese language institutions at the Opening Ceremony of the Nihongo Fiesta at the SM Mall of Asia on February 28, 2009.
Under the contract, the Nihongo Center Foundation (NCF) received US$43,764 while the other recipient, the Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku (MKD or Mindanao International College) received US$46,675 from the Government of Japan for the improvement of their respective Japanese language learning equipment and facilities. With these grants, the two institutions will be set to develop their Nihongo e-learning capabilities to make language learning more accessible to students with various needs.
Ambassador Benjamin Sanvictores, President and Chairman of NCF and Judge Antonina Escovilla, President of MKD joined Ambassador Makoto Katsura to sign their respective contracts.
The Grant Assistance for Cultural Grassroots Projects was introduced in 2000 under the umbrella of Japan's Official Development Assistance to provide assistance to directly benefit the so-called grassroots level in developing countries.
Prior to the Grant Contract Ceremony, the Ambassador awarded a certificate issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to Mr. Kriss Sison for being one of the bronze winners of the 2 nd International Manga Awards.
Mr. Kriss Sison, artist of Ninja Girl Ko , is one of the 12 artists chosen from among the 368 participants from 46 countries around the world to receive the bronze award. His manga works will be displayed at the 11 th Asian Cartoon Exhibition , which is being held at SM Mall of Asia until March 15 . Mr. Sison joins the roster of Filipino Manga artists who have received recognition from the MOFA-organized Manga Awards. In the First International Manga Awards, two Filipino artists , Mr. Jhomar Soriano and Mr. Elmer Damaso, were ranked among the top 19 brilliant Manga artists who participated.
Ambassador Katsura also awarded the winners of the Nihongo Speech Contest hosted by the Japan Foundation Manila on that day.
Aside from the abovementioned programs , various events were held during the two-day Nihongo Fiesta (February 28 – March 1) such as Japanese Edo Kite Workshop by Mr. Mikio Toki and Koto performance of Japanese classics and folk music by Ms. Chieko Fukuda.
Speech of Ambassador Makoto Katsura
