Jeepney Press: On The Road

Neriza Sarmiento - Saito's

On the Road to:

BRINGING HEARTS TOGETHER FOR HARMONY AMONG FILIPINO COMMUNITIES IN KANSAI

The first of May in 2019 will be remembered in history as the beginning of a new era in Japan - REIWA which was derived from an anthology of 8th century Japanese poetry, Manyoshu.

Like most jubilant Japanese, Filipino residents in Japan including myself waited until the name of the new era was announced. Like a refreshing cool breeze in May, the meaning of REIWA is “Beautiful Harmony“.

In comparison to the other eras in the past, MEIJI (1868-1912) “Enlightened Rule “, TAISHO (1912-1926) “Great Righteousness”, SHOWA (1926-1989) “Enlightened Harmony”, and HEISEI (1989-2019) which means “Achieving Peace “, Heisei ended when Emperor Hirohito abdicated the Chrysanthemum Throne and his son, Naruhito ascended as Emperor and his wife Masako became Empress.

On this auspicious occasion, we also accepted new challenges and responsibilities as the new officers of the Philippine Community Coordinating Council (PCCC) for 2019- 2020. The 2017-2019 officers headed by Atty. Jeff Plantilla (Chairperson), Aya Hongo (First Vice - Chairperson), Ma. Luz Shimizu (2nd Vice-Chairperson), Jorge Takara (Secretary), Sherill Torres (Asst. Secretary), Delia Nakashima (Treasurer), Annabelle Sosogi (Asst. Treasurer) and Herbert Benzon (Auditor), ended their term with laudable achievements and projects especially that of strengthening member communities.

As founder of PCCC, which was named then as Philippine Community Executive Council that started as an Adhoc Committee in 1998 and later elected as the first Chairperson in 2002, I felt a deep connection to the Heisei era, at that time when we were struggling to reach out to member communities and making efforts to improve the image of the Filipinos in Kansai, at least. We tried to connect to the local government by participating in events like the APEC summit, Midosuji Parade, local festivals in Osaka’s Naniwa, Takatsuki, Kadoma, Hirakata, Sakai, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto, Shigs, Minoo, Ibaragi, Suita, Yao, Kashiwara and as far as Hiroshima.

This year from 2019-2021, the following elected officers were inducted into office by Consul-General Ma. Ailynn Bugarin, of Philcongen Osaka at the International House in Osaka.

Chairperson - NERIZA SARMIENTO-SAITO (Kansai Nippi Tomo no Kai) First Vice Chairperson - MA. LUZ SHIMIZU (IFFIK, Hirakata) Second Vice Chairperson - LARRY MACALALAD (Hikone -Shiga Filipino Youth Group) Secretary - KATRINA FUJIK- AWA (Sacra Familia Filipino Community) Asst. Secretary - ANNABELLE SOSOGI Treasurer - DELIA NAKASHIMA (Kusatsu Filipino Catholic Community) Asst. Treasurer - YORIKO HAYASHI (Kansai Nippi Tomo no Kai) Auditor - HERBERT BENZON (Kakogawa Filipino Community)

Some of the activities that PCCC hopes to continue this year are Leadership Formation Seminar in August, Sportsfest which was started in 2010, and which will be in October in Shiga, a Christmas Jamming event on Dec. 1, a Financial Literacy Seminar on Jan 12, 2020, and Kapihan Part 4 in March.

As early as May 12, we went to a community outreach program in Okayama prefecture on an invitation from the Kurashiki Pilipino Circle. It was in commemoration of Japan -Philippines Friendship Day and a colorful and beautiful Santacruzan was held in the spacious garden of Ario Mall, complete with Reyna Elena, Emperatriz and Constantino and many more participants who are Japanese - Filipino children and some other nationalities. Thanks to Ms. Marjorie Oyama and the other leaders of the Okayama Kurashiki Pilipino Circle for their warm welcome and hospitalities.

Another function we attended was “Kalayaan 2019“ on May 26 hosted by the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka at Garden Oriental. POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) and OWWA’s (Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration) Labor Attaché Marie Rose Escalada from Tokyo delivered the keynote speech.

And on May 30, we were in Tokyo for the Meeting with the Filipino Community of President Rodrigo Duterte, who also attended an International Symposium on the Future of Asia. He was accompanied by Ms. Honeylet Avancena and several cabinet ministers like Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Pinol and senator elect Bong Go, who also sang “Maging Sino ka Man“ with Robin Padilla and Philip Salvador. Several representatives of various Filcoms from all over Japan- Nagoya, Gifu, Toyama, Saitama, Ibaragi and Tokyo were present from as early as 8 in the morning, but some had to leave halfway through the program to catch the last “shinkansen“. I was one of those who missed my train. We were gasping for breath as we reached the bus terminal and luckily, I got a ticket just 5 minutes before schedule.

May, the fiesta month really did turn out to be a month of festivities but it was also a great opportunity to have met many compatriots from other parts of Japan, exerting efforts to bring goodwill and thus creating harmony among the people they meet along the way.

Culture can be a way to bring hearts of people together, and when hearts are together, harmony begins and when harmony begins, peace prevails! That is exactly the road PCCC aims to take!