Ambassador Koshikawa held a ceremony for the Filipino Japanese Language Educators

On March 04, 2022, Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko hosted a ceremony at his residence to celebrate Ms. Maria Eleanor Tanteo’s inauguration as the new president of the Association of Filipino Nihongo Teachers (AFINITE) and the growing number of Japanese language learners in the Philippines. Filipino Nihongo (Japanese) teachers were also invited to this event as a way of showing appreciation for those who have contributed significantly to this success.  

Aside from AFINITE officers, representatives from the Japan Foundation Manila (JFM), Nihongo Center Foundation (NCF), Personal Abilities Development Foundation (PAD), and top universities in the country also attended the ceremony. 

The Ambassador and the esteemed guests expressed their gratitude through speeches for the continued strong relationship between Japan and the Philippines during the ceremony. 

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Koshikawa thanked the Filipino Nihongo teachers for their continuous contribution to Japanese language education in the Philippines. He expressed his hope for the continued increase of Japanese language learners in the country. Further, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of learning the language, as this could open more opportunities for Filipinos in the occasion to work in Japan such as JET or Specified Skilled Worker (SSW), and lead to mutual understanding and a greater appreciation of each other’s culture.  

Following this was a speech from the JFM Director, Mr. Suzuki Ben, and he delivered it with a promise to further develop Japanese language education in the Philippines. He laid out JFM’s plan to continue collaborating with teachers, learners, and institutions vital to Japanese language education in the country to successfully achieve this goal. He also agreed on the importance of learning the Japanese language and its role in opening more opportunities for the Filipinos. 

In the speech delivered by Mr. Sanvictores from NCF, he shared the humble beginnings of the Philippine Institute of Japanese Language & Culture Foundation (PIJLC) and NCF. Since then, both PIJLC and NFC have taught the Japanese language to more than 26,000 Filipino students. He remarked that although they faced several challenges over the past years due to COVID-19, they remain committed to promoting and teaching the Japanese language and culture. 

The newly-elected president of AFINITE also gave a speech during the ceremony and highlighted that the organization has a growing number of highly-competent Filipino Nihongo teachers from different parts of the country. She also enumerated their various programs to promote the Japanese language and culture. Like her fellow guests, she also relayed his gratitude to the Japanese government and AFINITE’s partner institutions for their unwavering support for their organization.  

Representatives from the University of the Philippines (UP) and De La Salle University (DLSU) were also present in this intimate event. During the ceremony, they both shared about their students' increasing interest in learning the Japanese language and culture. They have observed the growing number of enrollees in Japanese language courses at their respective universities. Many of their students have also endeavored to conduct studies focusing on Japan, including studying the language and culture. Both universities envision a future where they can produce competent Filipinos who can conduct valuable research on Japanese studies, among many others. 

Lastly, the president of PAD, Mr. Ishikawa Tetsuya, introduced their organization to the guests as providers of Japanese language education to Filipinos who aspire to work in Japan, especially as care workers. They aim to train Filipinos to be at par with the skills of Japanese people in the workplace and equip them with the communication skills necessary for daily conversations. Aside from Japanese language education, they also provide their students with on-the-job training and post-arrival education to help them prepare for their work in Japan.