Tokyo PE showcase Philippine Government initiatives on youth migrant integration at the International Workshop on the Acceptance of Foreign Nationals and their Integration into Japan
The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo showcased Philippine Government initiatives on youth migrant integration at the International Workshop on the Acceptance of Foreign Nationals and their Integration into Japan held on 21 February 2014 at the Meguro Persimmon Hall, Tokyo. This year’s annual event hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan and the International Organization on Migration (IOM) focused on Human Resource Development of Young Foreign Nationals for the Next Generation.
The Philippine Embassy in Tokyo was represented by Minister and Consul General Marian Jocelyn Tirol-Ignacio at a panel discussion led by Japanese Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) commentator, Mr. Shinji Yamada. The panel brought together representatives from the academe (Utsunomiya University and Aichi Shukutoku University), business (Lawson) and NGO sector (IDEA). The sole diplomat in the panel, Consul General Tirol-Ignacio stressed the significance of supporting community initiatives that organize the youth, focus on peer counseling and youth leadership, increase access to education and language learning, and expand parenting skills. The panel discussed the following issues: the importance of language, the role of communities and those of the Japanese business sector in facilitating integration.
The workshop was opened by Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Hirotaka Ishihara while the keynote address was given by Amb. William Lacy Swing, Director-General of the IOM. A presentation on the integration of foreign nationals in Europe was given by Erasmus University Rotterdam’s Dr. Hans Entziger and supplemented by the personal accounts of 2 young migrants, Ms. Ai Fukuda of Korean parentage and Mr. Rodrigo Igi of Japanese-Brazilian parentage.
