| JENESYS 2.0 Language Programme participants from the Philippines gathered at the Department of Education’s Bulwagan ng Karunungan for a Send-Off Ceremony on February 6. Also present to express support were Commissioner Jo Jan Paul Peñol, Commissioner Representing the Visayas, National Youth Commission; and Counsellor Tatsuo Kitagawa, Director, Japan Information and Culture Center of the Embassy of Japan. Photo credit: Department of Education. |
91 Filipino high school students currently learning the Japanese language left on Monday, February 9, for a 9-day educational visit to Japan under the JENESYS 2.0 Language Programme. This is the third and largest batch of JENESYS 2.0 Language Programme participants from the country.
In 2014, 92 students joined the JENESYS 2.0 Language Programme. The first batch, composed of 46 students, departed for Japan in September while the second batch of 46 left in November.
Like the previous two, the third batch attended a 3-day national formation and pre-departure briefing organized by the Department of Education to help them prepare for their upcoming trip.
As part of their pre-departure preparations, a Send-Off Ceremony was held at the Department of Education Central Office in Pasig City on Friday, February 6.
In his Keynote Address delivered during the ceremony, Mr. Mario Deriquito, DepEd Undersecretary for Partnerships and External Linkages, challenged the students to learn as much as they could from the trip and to share their acquired knowledge upon their return. Also in attendance at the ceremony to give messages of solidarity and encouragement to the participants were Commissioner Jo Jan Paul Peñol, Commissioner Representing the Visayas, of the National Youth Commission; and Mr. Tatsuo Kitagawa, Director of the Japan Information and Culture Center of the Embassy of Japan.
While in Japan, the students will be engaging in school exchange programs, cultural performances, heritage site visits, courtesy calls on local government offices, and other activities meant to enhance their Japanese language communication skills.
They will return to the Philippines on Tuesday, February 17.
The JENESYS 2.0 Programme stemmed from the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme first launched by the Japanese Government in 2007 to facilitate cultural and academic exchanges among the youths of ASEAN, Oceania, and Japan. Apart from Japanese Language, other thematic areas already covered by the programme in the past include: Mass Media, Disaster Management, Traditional Culture, and Peace Process.
