The Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni (PHILFEJA) held its first Hybrid General Assembly Meeting on the 19th of August 2023 at the PJFF Office at Electra House Makati.
Representatives from the five (5) affiliate Associations attended. Special guests were Mr. Shigehiro Matsuda, Director and First Secretary of the Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan who was also the Inducting Officer and Dr. Lydia Tansinsin, who at ninety-years old, is still active in her profession, representing the early batch of Monbusho scholars and one of the living Founders of PHILAJAMES.
After the Annual Report of the President, the Officers and Trustees for 2023-2024 were elected: Mr. Domingo Go (APPAJU) as President, Mr. Rommel Roque (SAPILNIP) as Vice-President, Dr. Neil Tan Gana (PHILAJAMES) as Treasurer and as Trustees: Ms. Junelyn Pangunsan (JAAP) and Ms. Cynthia Reyes (PHILCULTAROS). Ms. Cecilia Tolentino remained as Secretary-General. Mr. Rommel Roque, President of SAPILNIP and elected Vice-President of PHILFEJA was in Los Angeles, USA at that time but he attended the Meeting and was inducted by Zoom. The Accounting Firm of Diaz, Murillo, Dalupan and Company was also re-appointed as external auditor of PHILFEJA for fiscal year 2023.
After the Oath-taking, Director Matsuda gave his congratulatory speech with some phrases in the Filipino language. Other guests who were requested to give remarks were former Trustee and PHILFEJA Director for ASJA, Mr. Philip Sanvictores, and Dr. Lydia Tansinsin.
The guests enjoyed the sumptuous lunch and the fellowship afterwards.
A 23-member PHILFEJA (Philippine Federation of Japan alumni) delegation headed by Mr. Francis C Laurel, President of the Philippines-Japan Society and Mr. Domingo C. Go, President of PHILFEJA attended the 27th ASCOJA (ASEAN Council of Japan Alumni) Conference which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia from July 7-9, 2023.
The 27th ASCOJA Conference whose Theme is “ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Towards SDGs for Better Quality of Life.” was held on the 8th of July but the day before, on the 7th of July was the ASJA-ASCOJA-PERSADA International Symposium with the Theme: “How the Covid Pandemic Affected and Provide Opportunities for ASEAN-Japan Social, Culture and Economic Development.” Both were held at the Universitas Darma Persada in Jakarta.
PHILFEJA speaker for the ASJA Symposium was Dr. Donald Patrick Lim, Chief Operating Officer of DITO CME and the Chief Innovation Officer of the Udenna Corporation. He is also the President the Philippine Marketing Association. Speaker for the ASCOJA Conference was Ms. Griselda (Gay) Santos, Regional Director, Southeast Asia of Water.org, an international non-profit organization that helps people living in poverty get access to safe water and improved sanitation through affordable financing.
The delegates enjoyed the Welcome Reception held at Kempinski Grand Indonesia graced by the presence of the Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Kenji Kanasugi and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr. Shunsuke Takei. On the 9th of July, after the Morning Mangrove and City Tour which ended with a sumptuous lunch, the delegates were also entertained by a memorable Farewell Dinner at the Sultan Hotel & Residence Jakarta with a popular Indonesian Band. Hon. Tatsuo Fukuda, Member of the House of Representative was the special guest who showed his good sportsmanship by joining the mass dancing and was dubbed the “Dancing King” of the night. Mr. Tatsuo Fukuda currently serves as Chief Deputy Secretary General of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan. He is the son of former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and grandson of former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda.
The 28th ASCOJA Conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2025.
The 2023 Asia Business Summit, co-hosted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), brought together leaders of 11 business organizations from China, Taiwan, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
SPPI President & Chief Executive Officer and Philippines-Japan Economic Cooperation Committee Chairman Richard Albert Osmond represented the Philippines in the business summit.
Launched in 2010 upon Keidanren’s initiative, the Asian Business Summit serves to promote regional economic integration among Asian nations. This year’s session marks the first time in six years the event has taken place in South Korea. More details from Arirang News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adqxuBmOjAM
The first Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) for 2023 was held successfully last July 2 at the De La Salle University – Manila Campus. 3,457 out of 4,125 examinees took the test, which was a 15% increase on the turnout number of examinees compared to the December 2022 JLPT. Almost all examinees were able to complete the test, thanks to the dedication and hard work of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Foundation (PJFF) staff, as well as the cooperation of the Proctors and Secretariat members, and support from our partner, the De La Salle University – Manila Campus (DLSU).
In order to prepare for the test, all proctors were requested to attend the Proctors’ Orientation on Saturday, July 1. The orientation started with a welcome speech from the administrator of PJFF, Ms. Glenda Ferma. She gave a motivating speech to all the proctors, highlighted as follows:
“This July 2, 2023 JLPT in Manila is HISTORY in the making. WHY? For the very first time since the JLPT was administered in the Philippines more than 30 years ago, the test will be administered by an All-Filipino TEAM. For the first time, no Japanese staff from the Japan Foundation Manila will assist in the management of the Test, from the preparation and sorting of test papers by level, to the assigning of classrooms and selection of proctors, and all the minutest details of conducting the Test tomorrow, the day of the exam. This is another test of fire for all of us – Filipinos!”
The above imparted that we, as an all Filipino team, must do our part in ensuring that we serve our fellow Filipinos as well as to continue to promote friendly ties between the Philippines and Japan.
Emboldened and motivated, during the orientation, the proctors were very attentive. Many were seen taking notes. Others were asking thoughtful questions. All of them were actively participating and listening to the orientation. Whether the proctor was new or experienced, they did not hesitate to ask questions. Their efforts in understanding the JLPT procedures has contributed greatly in helping PJFF conduct the test successfully.
Apart from that, the DLSU also prepared a safety orientation in case an emergency arises on the test day itself. Given that the Philippines is vulnerable to natural disasters, the DLSU administrators also raised the need to be prepared for any situation. After the orientation, the proctors were given their room assignments and paired with their assistants to prepare their room for the test day. That marked the end of the orientation day.
On July 2, the actual test date, examinees were seen lining up the gates of DLSU as early as 8:00 a.m. Proctors and secretariat members were seen running around and making sure that their assigned rooms and materials were prepared. There was some tension. However, more than that, there was also that sense of determination coming from everyone to make sure that this JLPT would be a successful one.
During the test, the administrative team kept track of everything and responded to all concerns. The proctors and secretariats were proactive and ensured that their assigned duties were carried out. DLSU was very attentive as well regarding the safety and security of everyone involved. The team was even concerned as to the temperature throughout the day and allowed the examinees to enter their assigned rooms early. Through everyone’s effort, the JLPT started and ended with no major concerns. The PJFF would like to thank all the proctors, secretariats, and DLSU staff for making this JLPT a successful one.
For many examinees, the JLPT is not just a simple proficiency test. It can be a big step for reaching their dreams. As such, the Philippines-Japan Friendship Foundation is committed to providing quality service for everyone who will take the JLPT in Manila Test Site. We will continuously strive to deliver the best of our services in the years to come.
