Christmas is the most awaited and celebrated time of the year, the period to acknowledge and thank God for giving us His Son Jesus Christ for the Salvation of those who would believe as in John 3:16 (The Bible).

As anticipated everyone are all set to showcase their talents in a party themed A Christmas Carol Karaoke night at President Jose P. Laurel Hall 4/F in PJF Bldg., on Friday 18^th December 2015 from 6PM onwards.

Every Candidate and NCF Staff displayed their inventiveness by presenting themselves wearing decorated and colourful Christmas attire in Red, White or Green.

The host, Mr. Josef Orillo encouraged everyone to participate in the games, singing, dancing, exchanging of gifts, to have a fantastic time and announced that dinner is served so everyone could enjoy sumptuous mixed of Oriental favourite meal and juices as a treat before we start the program.

Ms. Maria Lynn Canlas, Building Administrator opened the party with a thanksgiving prayer and Mr. Kenjiro Ogata, Head Lecturer welcomed everyone, and officially started the party.

The party began with 6 Christmas Carol Karaoke Presentations from each class, choices of music are: Kisyuugumi Videoke Carol (Class 1), 12 Days of Nihongo Benkyoushimasu (Class 2), Star ng Pasko (Class 3), I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Class 4), Thank you for the Love & Merry Christrmas Happy Holidays Medley (Class 5) and Merry Christmas Dance Carol (Class 6). Judges were Mr. Kenjiro Ogata, Head Lecturer; Ms. Glenda Toral-Ferma, Deputy Adminitrator and Ms. Betty Mojica, Lecturer, Japanese Culture and Society with the following criteria for judging: Mastery and Timing, Choreography & Unity, Costume & Props and Christmas Relevance, such had made every presenters excitingly challenged. Every candidate performed with their all, and as a result every audience and judges were astonished! They are indeed handpicked.

Games made the night filled with fun and happiness too, we relayed messages via facial expressions, painted real life portraits of Christmas stories and played the stone, paper, and scissor twenty to share match.

The highlight of the evening is the exchanging of Christmas gifts with a twist – laughter, shouting, dancing and rejoicing  filled the room as we pass along gifts to the left, right, across, behind as instructed to the beat of  Hillsong’s  We Have A Saviour Born Is The King ‘It’s Christmas’ this activity was amazingly crazy and F.U.N. as per Mr. Ogata!

There were prizes aplenty as sponsored by NCF Management and Mr. Ogata were given away for the game winners and Presentation’s top 3 winners, as announced by Deputy Administrator Ms. Glenda Toral-Ferma. Winners came forward as called, they were: Class 3-3^rd Placer, Class 4-2^nd Placer and Class 2-Grand Winners who really made their presentation unique, personalized and relevant.

A planner with a character pen was also distributed as NCF’s token of appreciation, for each Administrators, Lecturers, Workforce and Candidates who are part of this enormous and triumphant year.

The party concluded as each of us observed a moment of stillness with a prayer thanking the Lord Jesus Christ the reason for the season, undeniably.

Madame Akie Abe, the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, donated to the Nihongo Center Foundation (NCF) numerous books on Japan and Nihongo education.  The donation was personally conveyed by Mrs. Abe, who was accompanying her husband – the Prime Minister – during the 27th APEC Summit held in Manila in mid-November 2015.  A simple but meaningful donation ceremony was held on November 19, 2015 at the Manila Diamond Hotel.

Mrs. Glenda Toral-Ferma, Deputy Administrator and Faculty member of the Nihongo Center received the donation during the Presentation Ceremony.  She was accompanied by selected Nurse and Careworker candidates undergoing Japanese Language Training under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).  Also present during the turnover rites were officials of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and the Japan Foundation Manila.

The donation consisted of books on current approaches to teaching Japanese Language, as well as books on Japanese culture and history, publications on Sights of Japan, various magazines, and personal books written by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Madame Abe herself.

Mrs. Abe had a fruitful exchange of opinions and insights with the NCF representatives on how Japan views Filipinos in the service industry and how Filipinos view Japan as a country and people. She expressed her appreciation of the warmth and hospitality of Filipinos and their innate nature for caring of the sick and the elderly.  The Filipino nurses and care workers  in turn expressed their gratitude to the Government of Japan for opening the doors for Filipinos health workers.

Photo Credits:  Japan Embassy and Japan Foundation Manila