Philippine Embassy meets Filipino community in Tsukuba

LET ME SHARE WITH YOU all this article that I wrote for my October 31 column for the Cebu-based newspaper, THE FREEMAN, that is widely-circulated throughout the Visayas and Mindanao:

“By 1:30 in the afternoon of Sunday, there were already about 5 or more of our migrant workers at the Tsukuba Catholic Church who came for the special meeting/consultation with the officials of our Philippine Embassy here in Tokyo.

“Some had questions about what procedures to take for finally returning to the Philippines after several long years of overstaying in Japan.

“Some others asked how to bring to Japan their children of previous marriages in the Philippines.

“More of our kababayans started to join the group. All in all, there were about 15 or more of us ready for the important outreach of the Embassy officials to Tsukuba City, in the prefecture of Ibaraki in Japan.

“Earlier, there were more than 60 Filipinos who gathered for a festive lunch and orientation with the Embassy officials at Friends, a Filipino shop owned and managed by a former Filipino scholar to Japan, Benigno Tutor Jr. from Bohol and his wife, Lynne, from Pangasinan. Benny also happens to be the owner-publisher of the pioneering and widely circulated newspaper for Filipinos in Japan, the Philippines Today.

“Ambassador Domingo Siazon kindly accepted the invitation to have Philippine Embassy officials visit and meet with the Filipino community in Tsukuba, located in Ibaraki Prefecture, one area with the largest concentrations of Filipino migrants in Japan.

“Unable to come personally due to a prior commitment, Ambassador Siazon, instead, sent a very knowledgeable team led by Minister-Counsellor Claro Cristobal, Consul Lillibeth Pono, Atty. Sofronio Cortel, Mr. Larry Sumando (attaché), Ms. Angelita Cirineo (attaché) and Ms. Josefina Sanchez, OWWA officer.

“Not only did they give their time to answer questions from the group, consular services which normally could be obtained only within the confines of the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo were made available that special Sunday to our kababayans.

“A mother and child had their travel documents processed. After more than 9 years of overstaying in Japan, the parents decided to have the mother bring home their son who did not have the opportunity for any formal education in Japan.

“This decision would mean the start of their family separation, with the husband and father of their child to be left behind and alone in Japan to earn enough to support them back home. Until formal education, however, is assured and made available to children of many of our overstaying migrants here, then, more separation can be expected in the near future.

“Consul Pono advised our group to send a formal concept paper to be sent to the Ambassador to request for formal linkage between the DECS and a future experimental school for Filipinos to be established in Tsukuba, home to many of our Filipino scholars, researchers, and educators.

“The Embassy officials were also requested to seriously present investment prospects for our migrants, preferably those that can link up with LGUs and assist in the development and upliftment of the local communities, especially of the needy sectors.

“Viewed individually, the migrants’ potential as investors may be insignificant but taken collectively, their financial power can certainly propel employment and development back home. Just look at the power of their remittances, how our migrants are helping to keep our economy afloat.

“More issues were shared and discussed during the meeting that ended with everyone looking satisfied and pleased with the outcome of the Embassy outreach.

“A very simple outreach but a very meaningful one.

“If the Embassy officials had not met the people where they were, our migrants would have had to sacrifice a whole day’s wage, more money for travel fare and food, fatigue and stress over incomplete processing at the Tokyo Embassy.

“By sharing their time and attention one special Sunday afternoon, our migrants learned that the Philippine Embassy is not a distant, cold, unfamiliar office but that it is composed of committed officials who are ready to service, assist, and meet their needs away from the confines of Tokyo.

“We salute Ambassador Domingo Siazon and his officials for bringing the Philippine Embassy closer to our Filipino migrants through this laudable outreach program. May all our embassies throughout the world find the time and initiative to go where our people need them most, beyond the confines of their offices.”

Kung mayroon kayong iba pang tanong, comments or suggestions, paki-contact lang kami sa cballescas@yahoo.com o sa telefax 0298-55-6154. Hanggang sa muli, ingat kayong lahat! God bless too. *

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