22 Filipino Youths Head to Japan for JENESYS2016

All set! First batch of JENESYS2016 participants from the Philippines posed for a group photo with NYC Chairperson Cariza Yamson Seguerra and JICC Director Tatsuo Kitagawa during the Pre-departure Orientation held on August 27, 2016. Photo by the National Youth Commission.

On Sunday, August 28, 2016, twenty two (22) young Filipinos currently majoring in Business and Economics or working in economics-related fields flew to Japan, where they will be staying until Tuesday, September 6, 2016 to participate in the JENESYS2016 Programme (Theme: Economics). This is the first batch of JENESYS2016 participants from the country.

To prepare them for the journey, a pre-departure orientation organized by the National Youth Commission (NYC), in cooperation with the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC), was held last Saturday, August 27, 2016. Newly-appointed NYC Chairperson Cariza Yamson Seguerra opened the orientation with a congratulatory message for the participants, highlighting the importance of international exchange programs in enriching young people’s lives. JICC Director Tatsuo Kitagawa was also present to give some words of encouragement, urging the participants to use the lessons they will learn from the program to help develop the Philippines further.

In Japan, the Philippine delegation — composed of eight (8) young professionals and fourteen (14) students — joined more than 200 peers from nine (9) other countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam for the 10-day programme. Participants spent the first two days of the program in Tokyo before they were divided into nine (9) small groups composed of about 20 people each, which headed over to one of the following prefectures: Miyagi, Aichi, and Osaka. Apart from lectures and group discussions on business and economics-related issues, participants will be taking part in Japanese traditional and cultural activities, such as tea ceremony, museum and temple visits, and homestays at certain points during the programme.

About JENESYS2016

JENESYS2016 succeeded JENESYS2015, which originated from the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme first launched by the Government of Japan in 2007 to facilitate cultural and academic exchanges among the youths of ASEAN, Japan, and Oceania. It also aims to introduce Japanese culture and society on today’s young generation by inviting them on short-term visits to Japan. In Japan, each JENESYS2016 group will engage in activities in accordance with specific themes, such as economics, peacebuilding, and entrepreneurship, among others.

For details on upcoming JENESYS2016 themes, application schedules, and guidelines, please visit the National Youth Commission website (http://nyc.gov.ph). Interested applicants may also check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website (https://www.mofa.go.jp/p_pd/ep/page22e_000772.html) for more information.