In an opening ceremony held last June 28th, the Nihongo Center Foundation officially welcomed the second batch of trainees for a specialized pre-departure language training program, dubbed the Hotel Nihongo Course.
Headed by NCF Academic Adviser, Kenjiro Ogata-sensei, the program entails 600 hours of classroom instruction to learn the Japanese language. Upon completion of the language training, the candidates are poised to work in one of hotels owned, managed, and operated by Ken Corporation in Japan.
Selected from a pool of over 100 applicants, the ten candidates who passed the rigorous application process are: Ryan Chester Tan, from Our Lady of Fatima University; Mikka Robles, from Polytechnic University; Jerick Marasigan, from Technological University; Gizelle Aguinaldo, from Jose Rizal University; Michael John D. Yokoi, from De La Salle University; Mark Joven Laderas, Yomiko Arbino, Maria Fenella Regala, Jolan Formigones, and Bryan Kevin Ricohermoso, from Lyceum of the Philippines University.
Also gracing the ceremony were esteemed guests Mr. Toshihiko Ogata, Senior Managing Director of Ken Real Estate Lease Ltd; Mr. Shuichiro Fujita, Director, Global Business Development of With Us Corporation; Mr. Gerard B. Sanvictores, Chairman and President of QRD International Placement, Inc.; and Mr. Philip B. Sanvictores, President of Nihongo Center Foundation, Inc.
In his speech, Mr. Ogata enjoined the trainees to first enjoy their learning and also set very high goals moving forward.
“In our Ken Corporation Group, if you are capable, if you prove that you can contribute to the corporation – You have a chance. You can be executives, you can be directors, you can even be general managers. So please understand that you have a lot of chances in our organization,” said Mr. Ogata.
He shared that, in their hotels in Saipan and Guam, the capability and quality of work of Filipino workers have indeed been recognized. “In this Guam operation, we can see there are so many (Filipino) managers, senior managers, controllers, or even assistant General Managers,” he said.
To the parents and guardians of the trainees, Mr. Philip B. Sanvictores said: “Thank you […] for all the work and sacrifice you’ve given to bring your loved ones to where they are now. They are in good hands at Nihongo Center. They’re in very capable hands, in the hands of QRD. And they are going to a very good company – Ken Corporation.”
In addition, Mr. Sanvictores encouraged the trainees to grasp the opportunity that is now within their reach.
“Keep in mind the words of Mr. Ogata. You are looking at a career. Keep in mind that what is at stake here is your future,” Mr. Sanvictores said. “There’s so much opportunity for you, please do not waste it. Everything is given to you, it’s all in your hands.”
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